


In Between Love and Hate

by Emilx311



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But better for it, Clan cultures, Cultural Differences, Depression, Dom/sub, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hashirama is kind of an idiot, Hikaku is a voice for us all, Hurt/Comfort, Madara makes Tobirama's life more difficult, Multi, References to Depression, Tobirama is also an idiot, Touch-Starved, Touka is probably going to kill them all at some point, Uchiha Izuna Lives, alternate universe dominant/submissive, clan wars era, dom!Hashirama, dom!Madara, dom!Mito, eventually, self-sacrificing tobirama, slightly suicidal thoughts, sub!Hikaku, sub!Tobirama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 17:27:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 47,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16045160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilx311/pseuds/Emilx311
Summary: Tobirama has been hiding his dynamic for years even though it's been slowly killing him. So, when he strikes down Izuna and Hashirama blames him for it he decides that making things right is worth what he has left. Only, Madara doesn't agree with his ideas and decides to make things a bit more complicated.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [As Is the Sea Marvelous](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5256338) by [blackkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat). 



> Hi all, for those of you following me as an author Loves' Denial is still being continued. I just finished a year-long intensive school program about 2 weeks ago, and in addition, I can't find any good quality transcripts of Criminal Minds which I need to work on the story. It will be updated and I don't plan to abandon it. In the meantime, enjoy this which will hopefully get me into the writing spirit again.

Tobirama was tired. This was, however; nothing new. Tobirama had been tired for years. Tired of fighting, tired of hurting, tired of causing hurt, and most of all tired of the death. He was also tired of pretending. When he was a child he’d shaped himself to mirror what his father wanted in an effort to spare his elder brother. He’d forced himself to get stronger, to push down his emotions and focus on doing all he’d could to protect his clan. He was determined not to lose his final brother at any cost, and Kami knows that Hashirama was useless at keeping himself out of trouble. This was why he’d reported Hashirama’s meetings with Madara to their father. Even if Hashirama was angry at least he wasn’t dead.

Hashirama was naïve, a dreamer. He saw the best in people, seemingly no matter what. Tobirama was a realist. A much as he would love to see the end of the fighting he needed to deal with the present realities of it. He refused to allow any more of his kin to die if he could prevent it. Hashirama didn’t see this, he knew that. Hashirama, and many others, thought he fought only to kill, fought for revenge, fought because he hated the Uchiha. He did not. He fought for his clan, for the survival of his family, he fought so others would not lose their loved ones as he had lost Itama and Kawarama. He fought, even as every battle and every kill pushed his remaining brother farther and farther away from him.

Tobirama did not think Hashirama even really knew what was going on as the distance between them grew. Did not realize as casual touches became rarer and rarer until they had finally disappeared all together. Did not realize as his eyes stopped looking at Tobirama and started looking past or through him. Did not realize as he stopped hearing what Tobirama was really saying and started replying to what Butsuma would have said instead. However, Tobirama himself noticed only too well. He noticed each small but more of distance as it appeared and felt each more strongly then any physical blow.

But he said nothing, burying the pain inside and doing all he could to help his brother. He pushed himself in battle and training, so he could stand at Hashirama’s side, and should the worst happen take the fatal blow for his brother. He did all the boring work required to keep the clan running without complaint. He buried his own desires, his own dreams, and his own emotions to focus on better serving his brother. And, because of all this no one realized. His greatest secret, and weakness stayed secret. He pushed down any signs of weakness, he took command, he pushed himself; and so, his whole clan assumed. Even his brother assumed. Hashirama still saw him as their father’s perfect son and never looked beyond that. The clan saw the heir they needed, the heir that left them feeling secure and protected. They saw his projected image and never looked deeper. No one realized how he longed for touches to linger. No one noticed dis desperate wishes for hugs or comfort. No one saw how stressed being in charge, giving orders, and directing the others made him. No one noticed his true dynamic.

Tobirama was not the cold controlled face he presented to the world. He’d developed his façade young, to hide from his father, and had perfected it since. In reality, he felt everything deeply. Each unkind word, and avoidance of his touch by those who claimed to love him broke him deep within. He had thought, once, that he could tell his brother. But then Hashirama had met Madara. After that had come Tobirama’s attempt to protect his brother, which Hashirama had taken as a betrayal that he had yet to forgive him for. So, Tobirama had swallowed his words and kept his counsel as the one grounding presence he had distanced himself from him slowly.

He was well aware that what he was doing was unhealthy. A submissive needed to be able to let go, to give up control regularly. Without comforting touches, without someone they trusted utterly they became unstable. Were Tobirama anyone else he would likely have gone mad by now. However, Tobirama had been taught discipline and control from birth, so he was able to force it down and focus on his need to keep Hashirama, keep his last brother, here. He focused on protecting the clan Hashirama loved, focused on keeping things so his only source of warmth could stay warm, could stay happy. That was not to say he was unaffected. He was fading slowly, so slowly that no one but him could see it.

He’d stopped having an appetite and ate only because he knew he had to. Even so, he ate only the minimum needed to keep him in fighting shape. He was thin naturally but was barely more then skeletal these days. He was, as previously mentioned, tired. Just so tired. He withdrew from people even more then he already had-trying to get away from the temptation to just beg them for things they could not be allowed to know he wanted. He spent hours locked up where he could be productive but not expected to show control over himself and others. If he was being honest he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up for, but he forced himself to go on because Hashirama and the clan needed him. And he would continue to push himself to do so until his body gave out completely or his weakness got him killed in battle. When this happened, he would take his secret with him to his grave, if only to prevent the grief his brother would feel if he found out how badly Tobirama had suffered right under his nose.

So, with these intentions always in the back of his mind, when the call to battle came he did not hesitate to don his armour. He took an extra second to make sure his fur was in place, covering the sensitive spots on his neck. Ready, he joined his brother and the others, ignoring the pang in his heart at the way his brother’s eyes almost skipped over him even was he stood beside him. He would endure, because Hashirama did not deserve the pain any knowledge of this would surely bring him.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm hoping to get this story finished and published as quickly as possible. I have the next chapter written and a start on the one after that. I'm really mean to Hashirama in this chapter. He's not intentionally a jerk and I think he doesn't even realize that Tobi heard half of what he said as he was mostly talking to himself. He will be redeemed....er probably. Also, this chapter got really really long. Don't expect the other chapters to be this long because I don't think they will be. But I write the originals free-hand so I can only estimate the word counts. What I'm saying is there will be a lot of variation between chapters. Thanks to all those who reviewed and left Kudos already. Just...wow O_O. And the one person who gave me so many potential ideas for this fic that I almost had to write a second version -_- Please don't do that again, I only have another week or so of vacation left here. Finally, my characterization comes mostly from fanfics so Touka, Hikaku, Kagami (if we see much of them) and even the main characters will be written how I have read them before which may not be all that cannon but well fanfiction (same deal with spelling of names and jutsus so please tell me if I messed something up)

The battle was like any other they had had against the Uchiha clan in the past. Hashirama made a bee-line for Madara as soon as the other clan was in sight. Most assumed that it was simply Hashirama trying to distract the biggest threat from the other side. Tobirama and a select few others knew better. Even from here he could see Hashirama’s mouth moving, likely trying once again to convince Madara to join him, to make peace. Tobirama knew his brother’s fighting style inside out and he could tell, as always, that this was no full fight. It never was, and Tobirama had given up on trying to make his brother truly fight. Tobirama had no such luxuries.

Izuna was on him almost immediately, and Tobirama gave himself over to the battle. Always, always he kept a speak of awareness on his brother’s fight. Izuna he knew was the same, just as Madara always kept an awareness of his brother. Tobirama tried not to dwell on what it meant that Hashirama devoted his entire focus on Madara. When he was feeling generous he thought it was simply because Hashirama was a very single minded individual. When he was at his lowest he wondered if his brother would even care if he was struck down. A deeply buried bit of him wished that someone would do so, would end his lying mockery of an existence.

Wrenching his mind away from places he refused to wander, Tobirama quickly dodged a strike from Izuna while countering automatically with his own. The sounds of swords and Justus clashing filled the clearing as Tobirama ducked, weaved, dodged, and stabbed half on instinct. Izuna’s fighting style was almost as familiar as his own after all these years, and all their fights. This time, however, he had something new up his sleeve.

Noticing Izuna starting to grow slower, a sure sign he was tiring, Tobirama acted. Throwing a kunai engraved with his newly designed seals (intended to allow him to _always_ get to his brother), activated it and sped past Izuna. Raising his sword, he struck out at his Uchiha rival. However, Izuna’s sharingan gave him just enough warning to strike back. Instead of sticking true and killing the Uchiha his sword struck slightly off center. He thrust it through the Uchiha’s side as the other’s sword went through his shoulder. Both withdrew their swords and staggered away from each other. Izuna grasped at his bleeding wound and dropped to his knees, pain obvious on his face. Years of practice allowed Tobirama to keep his poker face intact, acting as though the injury was not there. The stab wound hurt certainly but compared to the pains he’d dealt with daily it was nothing.

Almost as soon as Izuna’s knees hit the ground Madara was beside him, scooping his younger brother up and giving Tobirama a poisonous glare. Seconds later, Hashirama was there as well. He chased after Madara, trying to heal Izuna and not giving so much as a glance at his own brother. Madara growled, pulling Izuna out of Hashirama’s reach and calling for a retreat. Hashirama dropped his hand despondently and turned to lead their own retreat. He still did not so much as glance at his younger brother. Tobirama, expecting this, silently followed the other home.

 Without a word spoken between them Tobirama followed his brother to his rooms. As soon as the doors had closed Hashirama rounded on him, fury written on every line of his body. Tobirama called up every once of will power he had and forced his face in to something cold and neutral.

“What were you thinking Tobirama?” Hashirama hissed settling a cold, angry glare on the albino. Tobirama didn’t even try to reply, not that his brother gave him a chance to anyway.

“You know how important Izuna is to Madara! I’ve told you so many times before and yet you still…now Madara will never agree to peace”. Hashirama’s voice grew impossibly sad. “I just wanted my best friend back Tobi, to create a peaceful future together! Why did you have to ruin that?!?!” He exclaimed. Tobirama continued to say nothing knowing that his brother wold not truly hear his defence; not with the way he said Madara and clearly meant brother. Not when he said both the Uchiha brothers’ names with more fondness then he had used for Tobirama’s own in a long time.

“Anyone but Izuna” Hashirama murmured so quietly it could hardly be heard. “Why couldn’t it have been anyone else, anyone but Izuna” he despaired. Pain flooded Tobirama at this. He knew very well that he was included in that anyone. He supposed that answered his question about whether his brother would truly care about his death. Realizing this it took every ounce of his will to force his tears back, to keep his eyes dry just in case Hashirama glanced at him again, no matter how unlikely that may be.

“Just…get out Tobirama” Hashirama sighed sounding utterly defeated, and Tobirama…Tobirama has been surviving on nothing but his desire to help (to serve) Hashirama for years. So, he knows what he has to do as soon as the words leave his brother’s mouth. And in the same moment he acknowledged and accepted that he would not survive it.

“Yes Anija” he murmured bowing deeply to his brother for the last time. He backed out of the room as silently as possible, shutting the door behind him. He heaved a slight sigh at what he knew he would now have to do. Making his way to his room he checked his chakra levels. They were not dangerously low, but he would have to make sure to conserve them. He grimaced knowing that he would be unable to heal his own wound if he wanted to be able to go through with his plan. The wound Hashirama had not even deemed to notice, even as the blood stained his shirt as his brother lectured him about the enemy blood his actions had spilled. Tobirama could admit, at least to himself, that he was a bit bitter. Still, both his bitter feelings and his wound would soon matter very little.

Reaching his room, he quickly and efficiently stripped odd his armour. He hung it on the mannequin, wincing at the dried and drying blood (both his own and not), but knowing that time was of the essence. Stripping he bound his wound quickly but efficiently ensuring that the wrapping would not fall or allow the wound to hinder him on his mission. He redressed in simple black pants and a black shirt that did little to conceal his identity. There was no point when the enemy would likely get the chance to strip any disguise he may have worn, and he was far too distinctive for them to ever mistake him for anyone else. However, he did leave off his distinctive face guard leaving it in plain sight on his bed. It had served him well and he did not wish for it to end in enemy hands. Perhaps Touka would be able to make use of it after he was gone. She had always been closer to him then most of the clan. On top of his face guard he also laid a quick note to his brother which would, when he finally came looking for him, explain his absence and likely death in as painless a way as possible.

                _Anija,_

_An emergency mission has come up. I have chosen to take it myself believing that I have the best chance of completing it successfully. It is dangerous, and I do not know how long I may be gone. Should I not return in a week you may assume that the worst has happened. If that is so please know that I love you and that I hope you achieve your dream of peace._

_Your brother,_

_Tobirama_

Nothing he had written in the note was, in the most technical sense, a lie. He was leaving on a mission only he was likely to succeed at. That it was a self assigned one and not an official one made little difference. He did love his brother, completely, utterly, and with everything he was, and he did wish for Hashirama’s dreams of peace to come true. The only untruth was his lack of idea of a timeline. Technically he may survive and return, but it was doubtful. He knew that there was an overwhelming chance of him never returning, but he felt that mentioning this was cold even for him. He hoped that adding the timeline of a week would allow for closure and ensure that no one would search for him hopelessly after he was gone.

Feeling as prepared as he could be Tobirama straightened his weapons. He placed all but two of his marked kunai on his desk. There they would be found and given to others to use. The two kunai pocketed he slipped silently out of his window. Using as little chakra as possible he suppressed his signature until the only person who would have been able to sense him was himself. This done he leaped over an unwatched patch of wall and ran as swiftly as he could towards the Uchiha compound. Once he arrived he hid himself just outside and stretched his sense outward. To his relief he felt Izuna’s chakra still burning mostly steadily. Had the other already perished all this would be for nought. Even better Madara’s chakra was no where near Izuna’s and was, in fact, surrounded by others. Tobirama allowed himself a small smirk. For once it seemed that Lady Luck felt like smiling upon him. Well, he would take full advantage.

Sucking in a near silent breath he ensured that no patrols were nearby as he leapt over a compound wall for the second time that night. He made his way across the rooftops towards the home he could feel Izuna in while dodging all foot traffic and patrols. Leaping off he landed silently in front of what he assumed was the clan head’s house. He slipped inside, making sure to be absolutely silent even as he moved as quickly as he dared.

Silent and sure he slipped through the house and let himself in to the room containing his rival. He did not allow himself to hesitate there and instead slid to his knees at Izuna’s side. The Uchiha was asleep so Tobirama used a few precious seconds to study the wound he had inflicted. It had been given decent treatment, but even so it was beginning to fester, and he could see the signs of infection and fever already setting in.  While Tobirama’s aim had been off it was still a grievous wound and he doubted that anyone other then he or his brother would have been able to truly save the Uchiha heir.

Luckily for said heir Hashirama’s dream hinged on the co-operation of Uchiha head. And that co-operation depended on Izuna’s survival. Hands glowing green Tobirama began to push chakra precisely in to the other, encouraging the cells to multiply and heal the wound while creating antibodies to fight the infection which had set in. He ignored his dwindling reserves and the frantic approach of the other’s elder brother. He concentrated on pushing himself and healing the wound as fast as he could while still being sufficiently thorough. He was determined to finish his self-imposed task, determined to give his brother the happy ending he so longed for and deserved. Slower then he would like Izuna’s wound knotted over and the fever left his body as natural colour returned to his cheeks. Just as the wound finally knitted together completely, leaving nothing but a faint scar, the door to the room slammed open startling Izuna awake.

As the Uchiha flew up in his bed Tobirama made a desperate and mostly instinctual attempt to escape. He was not at all surprised when it failed. He was barely a match for Uchiha Madara on a good day. In his exhausted, wounded, and chakra depleted state he was unable to use the Hirashin. In fact, he was barely able to stand, swaying dangerously even as he stood and made for the nearby window. With his current weakness Madara had no trouble at all grabbing him. Since he had come here knowing and accepting this was a suicide mission at best this was not a problem. No, the problem was where Madara ended up grabbing him. The elder had likely been reaching for one of Tobirama’s arms, however as he listed unsteadily Madara’s path had been diverted and his hand firmly grasped the back of Tobirama’s neck, unobstructed by furs as it was with this current clothing.

Tobirama’s neck had, and would always be, his weakest point. This was why he had always worn furs carefully adjusted to cover the area even in summer. Perhaps if he had had anyone he could trust, anyone to put him down regularly, or even anyone to give him regular friendly touches at all in the past decade he would have been able to act unaffected. As it was with being already dangerously touch starved, drained from physically and mentally from the fights earlier in the day and out of chakra as he was Tobirama’s body was unable to resist the natural urge to drop. His body went half-lax in Madara’s grip, giving in to what should have been a display of trust. The sub was unable to control his limbs any longer as the shock, peace, and chakra exhaustion rose up as one to drag him under. The shocked looks of the Uchiha brothers and the thought that at least his weakness would likely be mistaken as simple exhaustion accompanied him as he fell in to a darkness he fully expected to never surface from again.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring a confused but dramatic Madara, a confused but kind of grateful Izuna and a mostly unconscious Tobirama who, if awake, would rather be anywhere else. I have not used to many exclamation and question marks in a long time. Also, that moment when you have to go back and double check what tense you'd written the rest of the story in. Enjoy and please review.

Madara stared at the unconscious form of Senju Tobirama in bewilderment. When he’d first felt the non-Uchiha chakra flowing from Izuna’s room he’d been terrified and pissed. How dare someone come after his little brother when he was already injured!?! He’d been on his feet in seconds, determined that if he could not save Izuna he wold kill whoever dared to do this slowly and painfully. Bursting into the room to see the bastard Senju was both a surprise and not. He did not allow the intruder’s identity to make him falter, lunging immediately forward to grab the Albino’s arm. What was a surprise was everything that happened after. Tobirama had clearly tried to dodge, however he had also been swaying and seemed barely capable of keeping himself on his feet. However, despite this the albino had appeared unconcerned right up until Madara’s hand had closed around his neck. That was when a look of sheer, unadulterated terror had crossed his face even as his body seemed to fall utterly lax. Even if his sharingan had not already been active he doubted he would ever have been able to forget that sight, though it had lasted for barely a second.

“Aniki what……?” Izuna asks, sounding as confused as Madara feels.

“I don’t know” Madara replies staring at the unconscious Senju before the person talking registered. “Izuna! Are you okay?” He demands of his brother, turning away from the shinobi on the floor.

“Fine, in fact I feel…better” Izuna hesitated, glancing down at his wound-or what had been a wound the last time he’d checked. It was now nothing but a scar. “He healed me?” Izuna asks, questioning not so much whether the albino actually had but the reasons the other would do so. This makes Madara pause.

“He did what?!?!” Madara squawks checking his little brother over himself to confirm the truth of what had been said. “But why would be do that?!?!? He’s the ne who stabbed you in the first place!!!” He exclaims

“You think I don’t know that?” Izuna shoots back. “I was definitely there” he adds, in case the other had forgotten.

“Not the point Izuna” Madara grumbles.

“Maybe he felt bad?” Izuna suggested dubiously. Madara gives him the disbelieving look he felt this statement deserved.

“Tobirama?? Feel bad??” Madara questions incredulously with a scoff.

“Well? Then why do you think he did it?” Izuna asks. Madara remains silent and Izuna smirks knowing this meant that his elder brother had no clue.

“It doesn’t matter. We can force him to tell us when he wakes up” Madara says quickly, trying to salvage what he can of his dignity. “For now, we have to figure our what to do with him” he deflects. Flicking his sharingan eyes towards the unwelcome member of the room he checked the other’s chakra levels. They were, he noticed, almost dangerously low. This was something he knew the other had to have been aware of before he came.

“We should probably still seal his access to his chakra no matter how low on it he may currently be” Madara muses out loud. “He didn’t seem to need much to perform that teleporting jutsu of his earlier” he adds.

“It seems a bit wrong to just throw him in the cells” Izuna comments reluctantly, his dislike of the other warring with his gratefulness for being healed. “He did just heal me” he adds at Madara’s look.

“He’s still an enemy of the clan. A very powerful enemy at that” Madara points out reasonably.

“I know, but still. If we tied him down and have suppression seals on him it should be fine” Izuna replies. “Besides, aren’t you curious? Him sneaking all the way here alone only to heal me. Plus the way he reacted when you grabbed him…” Izuna trailed off knowing that he’d gotten his brother with that.

“It would also allow us to keep his presence secret” Madara murmurs to himself as he considers his brother’s points. Izuna nods along, happy to encourage anything that would allow him to have his way. “Fine” Madara huffs as he gives in.

“I’ll keep him in my room” Madara decides, not willing to allow even a defeated threat to remain around his brother. “That way I can keep an eye on him” he adds, cutting off any protests Izuna may have made. Izuna, knowing when a battle was lost, simply inclined his head in acknowledgement. Agreement thus reached Madara gathered Tobirama up and left the room. Checking that the hallway was clear he booked it back to his room so that no one would be able to see him or the cargo he was carrying.

Once inside his room with the door closed Madara hesitated over what to do with the unconscious Senju in his arms. His was the only futon in the room, but he would feel a bit bad just dumping the Senju on the floor…Shaking himself he gathered his wits about him. First thing was first. He placed the Senju on the bed for the time being before beginning to search the other quickly and efficiently. To his shock all Tobirama seemed to have on him in terms of weapons were two kunai engraved with a symbol the Uchiha did not recognize. These he absently tucked into his own weapon pouch for safe keeping and perhaps later study. Tobirama, he notices, is not even wearing his distinctive headpiece. Further searching did not reveal any more concealed weapons, though Madara noticed that the Senju’s shirt felt oddly thick for the material it was made out of. Fearing some strange seal or worse the Uchiha pulled it up only to reveal blood-soaked bandages wrapped around the other’s torso. Madara frowned at the sight of them. The other had just healed his brother’s wound, which should by all rights have been a killing blow, so why was the Senju’s own comparatively minor wound so untreated? The only reason he could think of was because the other had wanted to conserve chakra.

“For an already annoying and irritating man you are being particularly confounding at the moment” Madara informs Tobirama tartly. Pulling put some chakra suppressing rope he made quick work of trying the other’s arms and legs, trying to aggravate the wound as little as possible. He told himself this was just because he didn’t want to have to deal with stopping to other from bleeding out before he got his answers. Once the other was bound Madara stuck a couple chakra seals on him just to be certain. This done the Uchiha found himself out of tasks, and back at the problem he’d faced when first arriving in his room. After seriously debating with himself for a moment he let out a defeated groan at the conclusion he’d come to.

“Even if it is you I can’t justify leaving an exhausted and injured man who just healed my brother on the ground” he tells the unconscious Senju irritably. He then levels an accusing finger at the other. “You will only be getting half of the bed and you will _not_ drool on me” he orders imperiously. That said he efficiently changes his clothes to something more appropriate for sleeping. Not quite pyjamas given his present company, but something more comfortable then the dirty clothing he’d worn under his armour all day. Despite the other’s bound and suppressed state he also made certain that his weapons were all within his reach before he lay down. He’d almost lost his brother to his man hours earlier, he would not be taking any chances now. Thus assured, Madara lay next to a man he would consider one of, if not his greatest enemy. He slept lightly that night, attuned to the other and awaiting even the slightest sign of attack.

With this wariness in mind Madara was understandably surprised to wake the next morning at his regular hour without any incidents having occurred during the night. Tobirama lay unmoving next to him, exactly where Madara had placed him the night before. The Senju seemed not to have moved an inch and appeared to still be very unconscious. If not for the minute but steady rise and fall of the other man’s chest he would think the albino dead. Madara checked the other’s chakra levels again and found that while still low they were no longer edging into dangerous levels. He also checked the Senju’s wound and saw it relatively unchanged and without any obvious sign of infection. He also found that examining the albino and his actions in the light of day provided no more clues, let alone answers, to the other’s actions then he’d found the night before.

“Congratulations, you remain an irritating conundrum” Madara grumbled at the other as he changed into clothing appropriate for the day. Hopefully there would be no big emergencies which would require his presence. He wanted to spend the day with his brother and hopefully getting some answers that would shed light on the confounding Senju and his actions.

As though summoned by his thoughts Izuna chose that moment to throw open the door with an overly cheerful greeting. Where he would normally have glared and hit his brother over the head Madara instead squawked and fluttered around Izuna making sure that the other was really okay. Izuna bore it with a bit (or rather a lot) of eye-rolling while he shut his brother’s door. Once the barrier between them and the rest of the world was shut his patience with Madara’s mother-henning ran out.

“Madara stop it. I’m fine” he insisted while batting said brother’s fingers away from where they’d been trying to roll his shirt. “The clan healer came by this morning. I told her you’d tried an untested jutsu you’d copied as a last resort. She said it had worked amazingly and that aside from the scar it was as if I’d never been wounded” he informs his brother. Then he grimaced. “You may actually need to learn whatever jutsu Tobirama used if we want her to continue to believe that story” he adds thoughtfully.

“That would require the Senju to actually be awake” Madara comments wryly. “Still, it’s a good enough explanation of your current state for the moment."

“Has he woken up at all” Izuna asks gesturing to the still figure on the bed. Madara shakes his head in the negative.

“Did you find any clues as to why he would have done…this” the younger questions while gesturing to where his wound used to be.

“Not a single idea. If anything searching him created even more confusion” Madara confides to his brother. At Izuna’s confused look he elaborates. “He had only two kunai with him. No other weapons or armour, not even his face guard. He’s also injured.” Madara pulled the albino’s shirt up at this point to show the bandages to his brother. Peering at the wound the frown on Izuna’s face deepened.

“I gave him that wound” he tells Madara. “Yesterday, right after he stabbed me” he adds as Madara’s brow rises.

“So, what you’re saying” Madara clarifies, “is that after he defeated you in battle, sustaining his own not insignificant wound in the process, he returned home, disarmed, bandaged, but did not truly treat, said wound only to get here and sneak in to use what was essentially the last of his chakra to heal you.” Madara gives Izuna the incredulous look this recount deserves as though begging his brother to correct him. Sadly for his remaining sanity Izuna just nods indicating that this was, in fact, what Tobirama must have done. The brothers were silent for a moment before Madara’s short temper snapped.

“What the fuck?!?!?!?!” He screams, expressing his sentiments about the situation in general. Izuna was unaffected by this outburst being quite used to his brother’s melodramatic ways. However, the other occupant of the room had not had the same exposure, at least not to this particular brand of drama. So, as the last words left Madara’s mouth Tobirama let out a groan, the sound having woken him. However, given he was currently injured and without access to what very small amount of chakra he had at the moment he did not immediately register the situation he was in.

“Anija” he grumbled unhappily to the shock of the Uchihas, “I don’t care if Touka killed someone. We have talked about your volume when the sun has barely risen.” That said he tried to roll over and finally noticed that he was tied up, not in the clothes he usually wore, had very little chakra, and that the room was not laid out correctly. As the events of the day before rushed back to him Tobirama automatically tried to sit up. Finding it impossible with the way he was currently bound he laid back once again with an even deeper groan as Madara and Izuna exchanged judgemental eye-rolls out of his line of sight.

“It is” Tobirama declares with as much dignity as he could muster, which was rather a lot considering the situation, “far, far too early to deal with this.” Privately Madara rather agreed with that sentiment.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was worried that this chapter wouldn't get very long cause I got stuck part way through and then they started bantering and I had way more then I planned. Enjoy, please review (I love hearing what you guys think).

If Tobirama was to be honest, his first reaction to the memories of the day before was to be surprised and a bit annoyed at his continued survival. His following reaction was confusion over being in a normal, and by the look of things regularly occupied, room instead of in a cell. His third reaction was that it was far too early to be dealing with any of this. This sentiment he conveyed out loud to the two far too familiar Uchiha who ere in the room with him. He violently shut down any his memory of what Madara’s hands had felt like on his neck the previous night and how they might feel no-NO, he was NOT going there.

“So, why am I still alive” he asks his captors instead of dwelling in his own thoughts. It served both as a distraction and as an attempt to gather information. He had rather assumed that with him at Madara’s mercy the other would have struck him down where he lay, so he felt this was rather a pertinent question. Judging from their expressions the Uchiha brothers rather disagreed.

“Why are you still alive?” Madara parrots incredulously.  “That’s your question? Out of everything you could ask, out of everything that needs to be explained here you go with WHY AM I ALIVE?!?!?!” Madara screeches. Tobirama winces at the other’s volume, wishing that he could move enough to at least cover his ears.

“Considering I fully expected to never wake up again after you grabbed me last night, yes, that is what I’m asking” Tobirama replies calmly. Madara gapes at him for a moment before he manages to compose himself enough to reply.

“You think I respond to people healing my family by killing them Senju?” He demands.

“Not normally perhaps, but in this case, it seemed a fair assumption given I was the one to deliver the blow which created the wound in the first place” Tobirama points out. “I was-am-also an intruder from the most hated enemy clan of the Uchiha” he adds since it seems Madara may take some prodding to see the point. Typically, the Uchiha ignores everything sensible about his response and replies with something so insane and idiotic Hashirama may well have said it.

“Are you trying to convince me to kill you Senju?” He asks. The part that amazes Tobirama is that he sounds genuinely curious about the answer, as though this was a real possibility.

“Of course not” Tobirama scoffs. “I was simply pointing out all the logical reasons why it would have made sense if you had indeed killed me last night and why I was expecting it” Tobirama replies with an eye-roll. This seems to stop the Uchiha in their tracks. Seeing as he can’t actually move at the moment Tobirama benevolently decides to give them time to collect themselves. For their parts, Izuna and Madara were rather shell shocked. This was not the emotionless killing machine they were used to seeing in place of a man. Nor was it the enraged and defensive prisoner they had expected. They exchanged glances, not really sure how to go about dealing with this strangely human version of Tobirama. Finally, Madara broke the silence with an answer to the Senju’s original question.

“You are alive” he begins, “exactly because you are who you are. I would like an explanation as to why such a great enemy of our clan would do something like this. Would risk such a death in order to heal one of our best fighters, one of your biggest threats. Of a wound they themselves had inflicted earlier in the day. And, all this without having taken the time to even heal themselves.” Madara finishes with a pointed glace at the Senju’s shirt which was still rolled up enough that the bandages underneath were visible. Tobirama grimaces. While completely unsurprised with the line of questioning he was still far from happy about it. He’d hoped, rather naively, that he’d have either been killed or escaped before any such questions were posed. As such he didn’t have any suitable answers prepared. Obviously telling the full truth was out. Not even Hashirama knew it, and he would never admit his greatest weakness, his greatest failing to his enemies. He also didn’t want to say anything that could implicate Hashirama and the clan as a whole in this. He’d create this problem himself and he would not burden his brother with it. But, he was also sure that if he told an outright lie the Uchiha would catch it. It appeared that he would have to tell a convincing half-truth.

“I saw the way you looked when I struck down Izuna. Everyone did” he began, ignoring the twin glares he was receiving. “Your eyes promised death should he die, not just to me, but to as much of my clan as you could take along with me. I am strong, but against you like that it would have be nearly strong enough. Not to mention that such an event would re-double the fighting to what it once was, when we were younger, and that would destroy any hope my kinsmen may have in Anija’s dream of peace. So, I decided it would be best for everyone if I simply stopped it all before it could start. The simplest way to do that was by healing Izuna. However, you would never have allowed me near your brother, even before what happened yesterday, so I had to sneak in to do so” Tobirama explained.

As with the note he had left for his brother none of what he said was a true lie. He had hoped that by doing this he’d be able to save the lives of his clan members from Madara’s rage. He had also hoped to save what little hope and faith their family had in his brother’s dream, to save the chance that the peace Hashirama longed for could become a reality. If he left out the argument and his own deeper, more personal motivations, well they were important to no one but himself. Thankfully the Uchiha brothers seemed to accept the explanation he had given them, at least mostly.

“And what if you had died?” Izuna asks. “Wouldn’t you dead at Uchiha hands have results just as bad as me dead at Senju hands?”

“No” Tobirama responds immediately and with utmost certainty. “Hashirama is not Madara. While he will grieve he would never choose to escalate the fighting or try to get revenge over it even if he knew. However, if you do not advertise it no one will know. I left him a letter saying that I had accepted a dangerous mission. When I do not return they will assume that I failed and that my body cannot be retrieved. So long as you destroy everything I brought here with me there will be no evidence linking the Uchiha to my disappearance” he tells them honestly. He’s confused when instead of comforting them this only seems to shock them more.

“No one will know?” Madara mutters questioningly, “when you don’t return? Will be no evidence?” He grows louder with each sentence. “Why are you still talking as if you are GOING TO DIE?!?!?!?!” He finally demands. Tobirama blinks, rather taken aback at the question.

“We just covered this” he’s unable to stop himself from pointing out. “I’m an enemy of your clan who managed to sneak in to your compound. Not only that but I was able to make it in to the room of your sleeping clan heir undetected. A clan heir I have previously given grievous wounds to. Clearly, I am a danger and a liability at best. You kept me alive because you wanted answers, now that I have given them to you my demise seems a safe assumption to make since I doubt my ability to escape in my current state.” Tobirama had thought that his death seemed the logical conclusion to draw given the facts of the scenario. Had be been in Madara’s position it would certainly be what he would do. However, the Uchiha had evidently not thought that far ahead or not realized this since they were giving him identical flabbergasted looks.

“You know, my brother may actually have had a point earlier” Izuna muses.

“Of course, I did, I had many in fact” Madara grumbles.

“It does sort of sound like you’re trying to get us to kill you” Izuna continues, easily pretending that his older brother hadn’t interrupted him. Tobirama finds himself rolling his eyes at Uchiha dramatics for the umpteenth time that morning.

“If” he stresses the word, “I was truly trying to get you to kill me I would be insulting you instead of answering and explaining myself to you. Or I would try to attack you. Or possibly threaten you. Or constantly remind your brother that I almost did kill you yesterday” Tobirama points out. “I have no desire to meet my death at your hands, I just fail to see how else this could end” he adds when Izuna doesn’t seem particularly convinced. This does make the older Uchiha pause.

“He has a point Izuna” Madara reluctantly points out. “If any of the elders knew we had him they would demand he be interrogated thoroughly before being publicly executed.”

“But he healed me, he risked death to help us” Izuna protests. “As much as I hate the Senju it would be dishonourable of us to respond to such aid with pain and death” he adds. At this Tobirama snorts.

“We are Shinobi, Uchiha, not Samurai. Most would say that we have no honour to begin with” Tobirama comments. “However, of you have any regard for my actions I would ask you to make my death quick and private. No matter what techniques you use I will tell you nothing that you could use against my clan, so I would be grateful if we may simply skip to my death” he adds honestly. For some reason, Tobirama will never understand Uchiha, this sets Madara off again.

“We NEVER decided on killing you Senju” he snaps. Tobirama feels a familiar spark of irritation inside him and is unable to keep himself from snapping back.

“You just admitted it was what your clan would demand, that makes it rather likely to happen” he points out.

“No, I said if the _Elders_ knew they would demand it” Madara counters. When Tobirama opens his mouth to inform the other that this was the same thing Madara cuts him off. “So, until we have a better idea we’ll make sure that the elders don’t find out we have you.” Tobirama sates at him incredulously. Even Izuna seems surprised to hear his brother say this, though he does also seem to approve of the plan.

“We’ll have to keep him hidden from everyone if we don’t want word getting back to the elders” Izuna says. ‘Well’ Tobirama thinks, ‘at least one of them is capable of showing some sense’.

“True, that will make it slightly more difficult. Still, at least we got ahead of the game last night by keeping him hidden then” Madara muses, which causes Izuna to look unbearably smug.

“If I may” Tobirama interjects, “if you don’t wish to kill me you could just let me go. I’m certainly not going to be telling anyone what happened. And, if I return to the Senju then there is no chance of any Uchiha discovering I was here. That way you can use whatever cover story you wish for Izuna’s return to health. I succeeded in my very confidential mission, everyone is back in their places and life goes on, end of story.” He’s not really expecting this to work, but it seemed worth suggesting it since crazy solutions seem to be the only ones Uchiha can think of. Madara snorts.

“Nice try Senju, but not wanting you dead is not the same as wanting you free to kill more Uchiha. You likely would not target Izuna again, but that doesn’t mean that myself and our other clan members wouldn’t be fair game. Not to mention having you means having leverage on your brother. For what I have yet to decide, but that hardly means I intend to give it up. Besides, I still have questions for you and given who you are I’m not fully convinced that you were totally honest in your earlier answers.”

Madara crosses his arms and regards the other with a raised brow, as though daring Tobirama to say anything to this. Normally Tobirama would keep his own counsel. Any other day and he wouldn’t have said even half of what he’d already said since waking. But then, any other day he wouldn’t be injured and exhausted with the memory of surprisingly warm fingers playing over his nape, urging him to sink back in to their comfort. Suffice it to say that dealing with all this had eroded his normal control over his reactions and his mouth since instead of keeping silent he immediately responds to the Uchiha’s taunts.

“Oh, so now you’re capable of showing sense” is out of his mouth before he realizes he’d opened it to retort. He’s fairly certain that he probably looks as surprised at his words as the Uchiha brothers do. Once the momentary shock wears off he makes a slight grimace. The one and only time he went under as a child had shown him that he has no verbal filter in that state1. Touka had thought it was hilarious. She’d also, thankfully, assumed it was because he was overly tired from the research bender he’d just pulled. (That had been part of it, though most of it had been her playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. Right after that had been when he’d started wearing his furs.) For him to have so little control now means he is way too close to dropping. Still, there’s nothing he can do about that right now except be aware and reinforce his mental shields whenever he next gets a chance.

“I always show sense” Madara shoots back while manfully ignoring his brother’s snickers.

“And yet, you could not understand my surprise at being alive” Tobirama retorts.

“Most people with _sense_ ” Madara stresses the word, “would just be grateful they were alive.”

“And most Shinobi know that sometimes being dead is preferable to being alive but captured” Tobirama returns. Madara has to concede that one to the albino.

“Even so, their first sentence upon awaking in captivity is not to question why they’ve been left alive” Madara can’t help but point out.

“True. Forgive me if chakra exhaustion is not conductive to deeper thinking. If you had locked me in as cell as most captors do with their prisoners I’m sure I would have been quicker to grasp the situation” was Tobirama’s sardonic apology. By this point Izuna was laughing so hard that Tobirama feared he would fall over. Okay, so maybe it was more that he hoped the other would indeed fall over. He was, as previously mentioned, a prisoner. He would take his enjoyment where he could get it.

“I’m so sorry the accommodations aren’t up to your lofty standards. If it would make you feel better, I’m sure I can track down some stale bread and mouse nibbled cheese for your breakfast” Madara counters.

“Cheese even? Really, far too luxurious a prison for me to ever guess you were keeping me for interrogation” the albino returns.

“It’s to ensure you feel all the more uncomfortable later” Madara promises darkly.

“Ah, of course. How stupid of me.” Tobirama’s tone is utterly bland. Madara narrows his eyes at the other and is opening his mouth when Izuna finally gets his laughter under control and cuts in.

“As amazing as this is, the rest of the clam is going to be up and about soon, and we need to figure out how we’re going to keep him” here he gestures to Tobirama, “secret while also keeping an eye on him.” Izuna points out.

In for a kunai in for a holster2 Tobirama figures opening his mouth. “You could just let me g-“ is all he gets out before Madara cuts him off by sticking a hand over his mouth.

“Not going to happen Senju” he tells Tobirama seriously. Keeping his hand there he turns to his brother. “The simplest will be to just keep him in here for now. The clan knows I have others intruding in to my space without permission” he points out. Izuna nods at this.

“But you can’t just stay in here all day” he responds. “Someone’s going to come looking for you at some point, plus now that I’m well you have no excuse not to perform your duties. The clan will be suspicious if they don’t see you out and about” Izuna reminds him. Madara groans because that was very true. As clan head he had many duties to his clan. This was especially true after a large battle such as the one the day before. He had paperwork to catch up on and he needed to find out who, besides Izuna, had been injured or killed. He would then need to talk to their families and make sure they all had everything they needed. Hopefully there were no new orphans, however, if there were he would need to find places for them. He also needed to just generally be seen checking in with the clan as a whole. It would raise moral and reassure them that they would go on. And, this was all on top of his regular duties. So much for his hope of spending a quiet day with his brother, he reflected ruefully.

“Neither can you” he tells his brother. “The rest of the clan will need to see you to believe that you are truly well and that I’m not just putting a brave act on for their benefit.” Izuna inclines his head to admit that his brother did have a point. Madara had by this point removed his hand from Tobirama’s mouth.

“It would be good for them to see us together at least once” Izuna adds glancing at Tobirama. The Senju rolled his eyes.

“I’m hardly in a state to go anywhere. You rather made sure of that” the albino points out. He gets two disbelieving snorts in return.

“You would find a way if left alone for long enough I’m sure” Madara retorts. Tobirama shrugs as much as he is able because this was true and was also what he’d kind of been hoping for-not that he was going to admit that aloud.

“Which leaves us right back where we started” Izuna sighs.

“We’re going to need to bring someone else in on this” Madara reluctantly admits. “Someone trustworthy and loyal to us over the elders” he adds thoughtfully.

“How about Hikaku?” Izuna proposes. Madara thinks it over for a second and has to admit that it’s a good suggestion. Uchiha Hikaku is their first cousin. He’s a few years younger than Izuna, but he has already shown himself to be sensible and mature. He’s a quiet, bookish sort but he’s also excellent with a sword; more then good enough to beat Tobirama in his present state. He is also third-in-line to inherit the clan and has attended more then enough counsel meetings to understand why it is so important to keep something like this secret from the elders.

“Good idea. Go get him, tell him I need to see him now. Drag him back in his pyjamas if you have to” Madara orders his brother. He would go himself, but an overeager Izuna dragging some poor victim around this early is far more normal then Madara fetching someone for an early morning conference, and they are tying to keep the elders from getting suspicious. Izuna nods and runs off with a rather evil grin leaving Madara with a silent Tobirama who is trying to remember which of the many Uchiha Hikaku is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The further towards subspace Tobirama goes the less of a filter he has. So normal Tobi says barely any of what he thinks. Fully under Tobi will just say anything and everything that comes to mind unless he's been ordered to stay silent.
> 
> 2\. "In for a kunai in for a holster" I made up myself. It's supposed to be a Naruto world version of "in for a penny in for a pound". If you like it feel free to use it in your own stories *shrug* and if someone already came up with this then I didn't mean to steal I have never seen it before myself.


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a couple people have been asking about Subs and Doms, what I meant by subs needing to go under/drop and if doms have any equivalents. When I use the terms drop, or go under, or anything similar in relation to this I mean that they enter in to subspace. Subs do not actually need to do this regularly. They simply feel stress very strongly, and while they are able to be in charge of things it doesn't come naturally to them and causes even more stress. Dropping is way to get rid of the stress build up, however this can also be done through comforting words and actions from others they trust. Most families and close friends try to praise and touch subs often. Hugs, hair ruffling, pats on the back, whatever type of affection you like it all works to help them. Tobi has not even had this in his life since everyone assumed he was a dom and didn't need it. This means he is very stressed and since dynamic is a physical thing in this universe it is actually causing his body to slowly shut down. So he's basically dangerously depressed and touch-starved meaning that he has more extreme reactions then most subs would. Doms don't really have any equivalent to this since they find things less stressful and feel that stress far less then subs. Sure they feel stress, but no more then a regular human would so they can treat it like we do, with a relaxing bath or time to themselves away from work. They do, however, often have negative reactions to being stripped of all control over themselves. Doms can listen to others, but they find giving orders and being in charge of things easier, so having no autonomy to decide anything for themselves is hard on them. I also want to clarify that dynamics have nothing to do with genders. Females are a bit more likely to be subs, but plenty are doms while the opposite is true for males. While dom/sub relationships are more normal dom/dom and sub/sub relationships aren't particularly frowned upon, especially if they are formed for political reasons and/or are between a male and a female. Male subs cannot have children and female doms cannot sire children. This is not ABO. Also, for those of you asking about Izuna I didn't just forget to tag him. I have a plan around that and it will be revealed in time. Anyways, happy true thanksgiving :P I'm really thankful for everyone who reads, favs, kudos and extra pumpkin pie to those who comment <3

Madara watches his brother leave feeling a bit sorry about inflicting him on someone so early in the day. Hikaku would forgive him once the situation was explained, but he still makes a mental note to do something nice for his cousin. The room is silent for a moment before Tobirama interrupts his thoughts.

“Uchiha, if you intend to keep me here at least let me sit up” Tobirama says irritably. It had been bad enough having to deal with Madara and Izuna from this position, he refused to allow any other Uchiha to see him in it.

“What’s wrong Senju, embarrassed?” Madara taunts automatically.

“Just tired of the view. White is rather overdone don’t you think? Although, this being you I suppose I should be grateful for the lack of clan symbols pasted on it” Tobirama retorts. Madara snorts.

“One would think you would be used to seeing white. It’s practically all you would see in a mirror after all” Madara shoots back.

“Like you have room to talk” the albino responds. The Uchiha are almost as pale as he is after all. Madara has no real response to that so instead he just helps the other to sit up, leaning him against the wall. He notices how Tobirama tenses under his touch, probably the most expected thing the Senju has done so far really. Tobirama on the other hand is using all his self-control not to lean in to the warm hands currently on his shoulders. Thankfully for his remaining sanity the Uchiha’s hands don’t linger after he is upright. Even better the door reopens almost immediately afterwards. Izuna had apparently taken his brother’s orders seriously as he was indeed literally dragging another person along with him. Once they are inside, Tobirama can see that the newcomer is one of the rare Uchiha without black hair. He vaguely recognizes him from the battlefield, but not as anything more than a regular combatant on the enemy side.

“I got him Aniki” Izuna chirps happily as he almost skips up to his brother.

“I see that Otouto, thank you” Madara replies while ruffling his little brother’s hair.

“You needed me for something Madara-sama?” The Uchiha Tobirama assumes is Hikaku asks politely. He seems to have eyes only for the other Uchiha as he had yet to notice the Senju interloper.

“Yes, an um situation has arisen. It requires delicate and discreet handling” Madara replies, his eyes flickering over to Tobirama as he says this. Hikaku follows the other’s gaze and visibly blanches when he finally spots Tobirama. He even takes a half-step back. Tobirama snorts.

“I’m hardly in a position to hurt you Uchiha” he comments rolling his eyes. This does not seem to comfort Hikaku who shoots an alarmed look at Madara.

“Yeah, that would be the situation” Izuna agrees.

“What...how…when…I don’t…” Hikaku stammers looking between the three of them in bewilderment.

“It’s a long and complicated story” Madara sighs dragging a hand through his hair. “Short summary is that we caught him after he healed Izuna last night. I have yet to decide what to do with him ultimately, but for now we need to keep his presence hidden from the elders. To do that we need you here to guard him when Izuna and I can’t” he sums up to a still disbelieving Hikaku.

“With all respect Madara-sama, I am hardly a match for Senju Tobirama”. Hikaku points out what seem, to him, to be the biggest problem with this plan.

“Ordinarily probably not. However, in addition to the physical bindings he is wounded, and his chakra is sealed. Do not underestimate him if anything happens, but I have faith you would come out on top” Madara reassures his cousin. Hikaku did look slightly less terrified after hearing that. Tobirama feels like protesting, but figures that the more helpless the other thought he was the laxer Hikaku would be and the better his chances of escape would be. Getting out of here was far more important then his pride.

“Very well Madara-sama” Hikaku sighs, “I will do as you asked”.

“Thank you Hikaku” Madara says. He then reaches over and gives his cousin an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder. Izuna meanwhile jumps to hug the browned haired Uchiha around the shoulders. Tobirama is rather surprised at how physically affectionate the Uchiha were with each other. Was the whole clan like this he wondered. Izuna seems to notice how incredulous he looked.

“What is it Senju? Surprised we actually have manners?” Izuna taunts his rival.

“No, just surprised how open you are. Showing such emotion in front of a prisoner seems…unwise” Tobirama replies. His tongue is still far too loose for his comfort, but at least he has enough control not to tell them everything. He wants to give away as little as he can about the Senju after all and telling the that displays such as the one that had just occurred are considered distasteful at home unless they take place only between submissives is rather counterproductive to that goal. His brother has always been the exception to that particular rule of course, it had caused their father much frustration when Butsuma had still been alive. Though even with his censorship the Uchiha still seem surprised by his statement.

“Why would it matter?” Izuna asks. “You already know we’re family, so our being close and caring for each other should hardly be a surprise” he adds. Tobirama shrugs as best he can while tied up. He resolutely bites his lip so that he doesn’t tell them that even Touka, the family member he is closest to, touches him so freely in affection. The Senju see such gestures as a weakness and believe they should only be done to calm a sub in private. Since, as far as any of them are aware, he is a dom no one has felt the need to engage in such a thing with him for a very long time. Slightly lost in thought as he is Tobirama doesn’t notice Madara’s sharp eyes on him. Madara in turn can tell that the Senju is holding something back, though he has no idea what it could be.

“Something more you want to say Senju?” Madara snaps finally after the silence has gone on too long for his tastes.

“Not particularly” Tobirama replies easily. “If you wanted someone more talkative you should have captured my brother instead” he adds tauntingly.

“Had your brother been sneaking around in my compound I would have” Madara retorts. “Sadly, he was not”.

“Then you’ll have to deal with being stuck with the quiet one” Tobirama informs him.

“He says while talking” Izuna mock whispers to Hikaku causing his brother to snort and Tobirama to glare.

“I may not intend to kill you anymore, but there are plenty of ways to hurt you while keeping you alive” Tobirama threatens Izuna. This causes Madara to glare and Tobirama in turn. He is just opening his mouth to verbally assault the albino when Izuna beats him to it.

“That would be way more scary if you could actually move at the moment” Izuna tells the other man mock seriously. Tobirama scowls knowing that was likely true.

“Hikaku, could you please stay here with Izuna and guard our…guest while I go get breakfast?” Madara requests seeing as his brother seemed to have the situation well in hand.

“Of course Madara-sama” the brunette replies, though not without sending an apprehensive glance at both the far too smug looking Izuna and the irritable Tobirama. Trusting in his family Madara leaves, making sure to close the door on the way out. Left alone the three occupants still in the room lapse in to an awkward silence, none of them quite sure how to break the tension. No one is surprised when Izuna is the first to crack.

“We really aren’t going to kill you” he tells Tobirama, seemingly out of the blue. Tobirama blinks, slightly taken aback at the abrupt declaration.

“Okay…?” he says questioningly.

“In case you still thought we might. You said you couldn’t see any other conclusion to this, but we’ll make one” Izuna assures him earnestly. Hikaku glances at his cousin questioningly.

“If you say so” Tobirama says. “It still seems like the simplest way to deal with everything, but if you wish to complicate your lives I’m hardly about to stop you. Still, thank you for the reprieve I suppose” Tobirama responds mildly. Hikaku frowned slightly at that reply. Something about it didn’t seem right to him.

“Reprieve?” Hikaku asks while leaning slightly in to his cousin.

“You sparing my life now is hardly going to make me immortal. I am, therefore, bound to die at some point making this only a reprieve from the inevitable” Tobirama explains. Hikaku frowns even more and exchanges a glance with Izuna. While the Senju’s logic was sound, the easily detached way he spoke of his own death was worrying. That was not the speech of someone who would fight to keep their lives as long as possible, that was the speech of someone who was just waiting for his death to catch up to him. Even from an enemy Hikaku found that worrying.

“I suppose so” Izuna agrees uncertainly, apparently sharing some of Hikaku’s thoughts. Thankfully before the conversation can get even more awkward or depressing Madara returns with two portions of breakfast.

“I made enough for you two as well. Feel free to go eat in the kitchen. I plan to get a start on my paperwork after I feed this one, so you can do as you wish for a couple of hours” Madara tells the other Uchiha. Having no complaints to this plan they thank Madara for making the food and leave the room. Before they leave Izuna promises to check in with Madara every hour to make sure Tobirama is guarded. Once they are gone Madara turns to the albino.

“I don’t trust you enough to untie you, so you’re going to have to deal with me feeding you” he tells the Senju matter-of-factly. Tobirama grimaces but makes no objection since he knows there’s nothing he could say to convince the other. He also grimaces at the sheer amount of food the Uchiha had brought him to eat. It was easily double what he normally manages to eat at meals and he already knew there was no way he’d be able to stomach the whole thing. Sure enough, he manages just over half the portion before he starts feeling over full and slightly sick.

“Enough Uchiha” he growls when Madara keeps trying to feed him more. “That is plenty. There is no need to shove food down my throat like you would a disobedient babe” he snaps. Madara huffs as he sets the food aside.

“Forgive me for trying to save you from death by starvation” Madara snaps back angrily. He discards the remainder of Tobirama’s food in favor of his own. Tobirama does not grace that with a reply outside of rolling his eyes. Inside Madara is confused. Compared to the Senju the Uchiha clan had very few resources. Because of this they had to ration their food more carefully.  Not enough to make a large difference, but enough to be noticeable. So why was a Senju acting like he normally ate less then they did? The portion he’d given Tobirama was even slightly smaller then the one he usually took. He’d noticed the Senju was slender, but he had always assumed it was simply the way the other was built. Certainly, this was a part of it. Tobirama was built long and lean, clearly made for speed rather then brute force. Now he considered if that was really all there was to it.

Subtle glances at the other as he ate gave him no answers on this front. Tobirama was slim, but he also had strong and very visible muscles. His complexion was pale but given his colouring that could easily be entirely natural. In addition, he could be one of those people who had multiple smaller meals throughout the day when he could. Madara admitted that there were multiple plausible explanations about why the albino had eaten so little. Still, something about it struck him as odd. There was nothing concrete he could point to, only a gut feeling that something about the situation was off. Madara shook off these thoughts as he finished his food. It was none of his business so long as his prisoner wasn’t doing anything to actively harm himself. The explanation was probably as simple as a dom being offended that another don was so in control of him. Lots of doms did badly when put in such obviously submissive positions.

Setting himself at his desk he kept a part of his awareness on the other as he started in on his paperwork. Tobirama, for his part, has closed his eyes and seems to have sunk in to a meditative state. Since this isn’t dangerous to anyone Madara figures it’s as good a way as any for the other to spend his time, especially since it allows him to work in peace.

Tobirama is indeed meditating, though not in the traditional way. Centering himself he keeps track of his breaths as he works on rebuilding the defences he’d created all those years ago, his primary defence in hiding his dynamic. The past day, his current situation, and especially Madara’s grip on his neck the night before had lowered them far too much. This was an especially bad thing to have happen while he was here in enemy territory. His clan had made their assumptions years ago, and aside from Touka they tended to avoid him most of the time anyway. They would likely ignore any subtle signs of the truth if he slipped up while he was at home. This would not be the case with the Uchiha. They assumed certainly, but they would also be watching him closely. Too many slips and they would become suspicious. That he needed to avoid at all costs, so he took the time he was given to re-center himself and rebuild his cold, dominant personal.

Mentally he sorted through his memories of the past few days and his instincts. Ruthlessly he thrust the any that were at all submissive in to a box in the back of his mind. This box he mentally locked and chained away. He then bricks off that part of his mind. He then brings other traits forward. His stubbornness, his anger, and his apathy. Ruthlessly he reminds himself that he needs to be strong, needs to hold out for Hashirama. Reminds himself that if anyone here found out they would be able to use him against his brother. As it always has been his brother and his brother’s needs are his driving force, and right now his brother needs him to be strong and keep Senju secrets, including his own.

When Tobirama opens his eyes again several hours have passed. Hikaku, his current guard, notices his change in demeanor almost immediately. The Senju seemed calmer but colder, and instead of flashing with emotions as they had been his red eyes were now closed off. They were cold and almost dead looking as they sat on the Senju’s utterly impassive face. He is not sure what exactly has changed, but for the first time he feels as though he is truly in a room with the Senju battlefield demon instead of just another man.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are. Also, it hints at it in this chapter but in my head, Izuna is older then Tobirama. It may not be canon but I like the idea of it so that's how it's genna be. Enjoy and please comment.

It’s late when Madara is finally free of the clan. He returns to his rooms to find a silent Tobirama along with a warry and tense Hikaku. This would not be odd except that his cousin is more on edge then he was earlier even though the Senju does not seem to have moved an inch from where he’d left him that morning. Immediately his eyes narrow. Hikaku is not the type to spook at nothing, so something must have happened between the two and he would be getting answers about what it was. His cousin seems to sense this since he inclines his head ever so slightly in agreement even as his eyes flicker towards the bound Senju. So Hikaku didn’t want to discuss what the issue was in front of the other, interesting. That meant whatever had caused the current tension wasn’t as simple as the Senju uttering threats then. Luckily Izuna chooses that moment to make his own entrance.

“Izuna, perfect. I need to discuss something with Hikaku, if you could watch the Senju I will do so while making us dinner” he tells his brother.

“Sure, as long as you make something decent” Izuna replies with a bright teasing grin.

“I always make something decent” Madara huffs, pretending as though he hadn’t already been planning to make all of Izuna’s favorites that night. No one could blame him, a day ago he’d feared that he’d never be able to make them for his brother again. He leaves the room with the sound of his brother’s happy sneaker echoing in his ears. He waits until they’re in the kitchen, and too far away to be overheard, to confront his cousin.

“So, what happened?” Madara asks Hikaku, taking care to keep his tone neutral.

“I’m not completely sure to be honest” Hikaku admits. “He was meditating, or at least appeared to be, most of the time you were gone. Except when he roused himself and opened his eyes he seemed totally different.” Here he paused trying to find the best way to explain what he meant. “This morning when Izuna got me he was open, not completely obviously, but talking, feeling, human. After he finished meditating he was cold, completely closed off. His eyes seemed empty, almost dead. Plus, he hasn’t said a single word to me since then. It’s like he’s locked himself away from the world. Even though he did nothing threatening I felt like I had to keep my guard up the whole time, as if a single slip would spell my end. I felt like I do on the battlefield” Hikaku explained. This made Madara pause. He had a bad feeling about this attitude change. Nothing specific, just a niggling in the back of his brain.

“It was his first chance to gather himself mentally since he was captured” Madara muses aloud. “It makes sense he wouldn’t trust us. He may have been mentally stealing himself so he would give nothing away if we were to torture him” he points out. Hikaku bites his lip, looking thoughtful.

“That could be it” Hikaku agrees. “But Izuna swore to him that we did not intend to kill him” he adds, confused.

“Considering Izuna has been trying to kill him since they met it is understandable that he would doubt my brother’s word” Madara points out reasonably. Hikaku reflects that his cousin does have a good point, but still…

“It doesn’t feel quite right” he mutters to himself. Irrational as it may be Madara finds himself inclined to agree.

“It could be because of his dynamic” Madara adds. “He is a dom used to being in charge of many things, least of all himself. To be reduced to a prisoner with no power over even his own body…many doms are known to react badly to such things. He may be trying to detach himself from the experience.” Something in his gut tells him this is closer to whatever the actual explanation was. He and Hikaku stood in silence contemplating this before his cousin lets out a sigh.

“That would make sense, but something about all this still feels off to me” Hikaku responds. Madara nods, his cousin is right about that. Suddenly a thought struck him.

“Hikaku, did he ask for any food while you were guarding him?” Madara asks. His cousin seems confused about the change in topic but dutifully responds to the question negatively. There is something there, Madara knows there is, but he can’t quite put the pieces together. Still, he will watch the Senju and figure it out. He refuses to let the other go until he has. In the meantime, he adds a bit of extra food to the Senju’s portion since the other hadn’t eaten since his rather small breakfast this morning.

“You can stay to eat and then return home if you wish” Madara tells Hikaku once the food is finished. “My work for the day is done. However, I may have need of you tomorrow.” Hikaku nods his assent and wraps an arm around his cousin’s shoulders un a brief half hug. “You did well, thank you” he adds before letting go. Hikaku gives him a happy smile before turning his attention to the food. Madara grabs his share along with Tobirama’s and heads back to him room. Nothing seems to have seemed to have changed to Madara sends Izuna off to eat with Hikaku. His little brother made no protest after spotting what was on the plates his brother was carrying.

“Dinner” he informs the Senju once they are alone. Tobirama turns his eyes to look at him and Madara sees what Hikaku meant. Faint though they may have been he’d been able to see all of the albino’s emotions in those eyes this morning. His exasperation, his annoyance, and, at times, even a bit of amusement. Now they were dark, distant, and utterly void of any trace of emotion. It was honestly slightly concerning and Madara wondered vaguely if he should have done something to disrupt the albino earlier and prevent this.

“I’m going to have to feed you by hand again” Madara says apologetically. His conversation with Hikaku and his theories around problems being caused by the man’s dominant dynamic in the forefront of his brain. He really hopes that doing this wouldn’t make the other worse, but he also saw no other alternative. After all, there was no way he trusted the other enough to allow him any sort of freedom, especially not unbinding his arms.

“Fine” Tobirama grunted without emotion. Sending up a quick prayer to the Kami that he wouldn’t accidentally break this man Madara got to it. Had Tobirama been able to read minds he likely would have laughed. Madara could hardly break something that was already irreparable after all.

Tobirama did not react as the man fed him bites of his dinner. It was utterly submissive and therefore something he would normally avoid at all costs. Since the current situation made that impossible he simply tried to disassociate from the experience. He had already slipped up far too much today, to do so anymore would be to endanger his brother. After all, if the Uchiha found out they would use it as leverage. Not only would they try to use the knowledge to force something out of Hashirama but finding out his secret, especially in such a way, would devastate his brother. His purpose was to prevent all the pain he could for his brother, so he had to do all he could to prevent such a scenario from happening.

Mechanically he opened his mouth, accepted a bite of food, chewed, and finally swallowed. He tasted none of the flavours; in fact, he doubted he’d be able to tell anyone what the meal had included. He managed to eat even less food then he had that morning before the feeling of being too full once again stopped him. Madara grimaced when he noticed the Senju had stopped asking for more before he’d even finished half of his portion.

“Senju, I don’t care if you don’t like the food or if you hate that I’m feeding you. It’s not drugged and you need to eat” Madara tells him seriously. Tobirama just looks at him with those dead eyes of him.

“I did eat” Tobirama says emotionlessly. Madara grits his teeth, totally annoyed with whatever the Senju was trying to pull already.

“Senju, eat” he bites out holding another bite to the Senju’s lips. Tobirama leans back the little he can using all of his mental strength to deny the direct order.

“No” he says simply. Eating more would only make him sick. It would be a waste of time, energy, and food. Unfortunately, Madara is not the in mood to simply accept this denial. He reaches out and grabs the albino’s face forcefully.

“Tobirama, you will eat” Madara tells him. Tobirama has to stop himself from shivering at the combination of the dom’s touch, forceful voice, and the use of his given name. Reminding himself that he is supposed to be a dom also he bites back.

“I will not. I require no more sustenance.” Madara looks less than impressed.

“Either you give in and ear or I will force you to do so” the Uchiha threatens, waving his chopsticks for emphasis.

“I have already eaten my fill. Eating more would simply be a waste of food” Tobirama counters. Madara snorts.

“Even we can spare enough food to properly feed a prisoner. Let me look out for my clan’s resource and look out for yourself by eating” Madara shoots back. Seeing that the other will not be deterred Tobirama decides to save his energy. He takes the bite Madara has been waving in front of his face and a handful more. By that point he is uncomfortably full and knows that he physically cannot take anymore.

“There. I ate” he says decisively, hoping the other would leave him be now. Sadly, luck was, as usual, not on his side.

“A handful more bites is not eating. You still have half a plate left” Madara replied, waving the plate for emphasis.

“It is not my fault your servings are excessively large” Tobirama responds. “I cannot and will not eat anymore” he adds with as firmly as he is able. Madara pauses for a moment to study the other man. It’s subtle but sees the face Tobirama makes at the sight of the rest of his food, as if even looking at it makes him feel genuinely sick. It seems that the other meant it when he said that he could not eat anymore of the food.

“Fine” he grunts with distaste. It cannot be healthy for the teenager to eat so little. Izuna would gobble up anything in sight, and while he was more reserved about it, Hikaku was much the same. It made no sense why someone from a clan with more resources would eat less than his relatives.

Tobirama feels a rush of relief at Madara’s response so strong that he cannot quite keep if from showing on his face. He was just do thankful that the ordeal was over. Eating was a bad enough experience on its own these days, having to deal with it while being tied, hand fed, and at the mercy of one of the strongest clans in the elemental countries…the only thing worse would be if Hashirama were the one to have him in this position.

“Don’t look too happy Senju” Madara warns when he spots Tobirama’s face. “Since I refuse to be accused of starving you I’m going to use this opportunity to get you eating properly again, since you seem to have forgotten how.” It was a spur of the moment decision, but Madara feels strangely content with it. Clearly the Senju had gotten himself in to bad habits. He had no idea why Hashirama had allowed it, but his old friend clearly had. The man was just as stupidly oblivious as always, he supposed. Well, he refused to have the consequences blames on him!

“Illogical as always Uchiha. If you wish to waste time and precious resources, then I will not stop you” Tobirama responds blandly. Inside his stomach was churning. Being held captive here was bad enough, he didn’t know if you could deal with repeating this scene everyday, possibly more than once a day even.

“Thank you ever so much for giving me your blessing to do what I had already planned on doing” Madara drawls. Tobirama snorts but otherwise manages to keep his mouth shut. Strangely this does not seem to please his host.

“What, no witty repartee Senju?” Madara prods. As with the food issue something about the other’s silence didn’t sit right with him. Tobirama never shrunk away from anyone or anything. Even this morning the Senju had had a response to everything. While this demeanor wasn’t one of someone who was giving up, the silence still put him a but on edge. Doms forced in to submission could act in unpredictable ways, so Madara was mindful to changes in the other’s behaviour.

“Hum? Were you still talking to me? I assumed you simply enjoyed the sound of your own voice” Tobirama bites back. He justifies to himself that not responding to the Uchiha’s taunts would seem like giving up-something a captured dom absolutely would not do.

“There it is. And here I thought you might actually be becoming aggregable.” Madara fakes a regretful sigh. Inside he’s surprised at how much relief he feels at this sign that the Senju is still himself.

“Towards the person holding me prisoner” Tobirama responds, trying to convey all the scepticism he could with this statement. Madara had to admit, if only to himself, that Tobirama did have a bit of a point. If the positions were reversed, he would probably be acting out in far worse ways then Tobirama was. He’d be fighting everything as loudly as he could were he the one being held prisoner. The thought makes him frown. Yet another oddity about the situation. Then again, he reflected ruefully, everything about the situation was odd.

“Lighten up Senju, you know very well that your situation could be far worse” Madara points out. If Tobirama was to be honest then he really doubted it could be. Straight forward torture would be preferable to being forced in to a position so dangerous for his secret.

“It could also be far better” Tobirama responds instead of saying anything about that.

“Maybe, but for now you’ll have to take what you can get” Madara responds as he finishes the last of the food. Placing it aside he begins preparing himself and his prisoner for bed. He helps Tobirama use the facilities, politely adverting his eyes as much as he was able, He then changes the other’s bandages. He was pleased to see that the wound appeared to be healing well with no need to bring in a trained healer. He frowns at the other’s clothes, but they seemed clean enough for the moment. As he helps Tobirama lie down the other finally seems to realize where he would be sleeping. Madara is rather amused at the blush which covers Tobirama’s face.

“What’s this Senju?” Madara asks, tracing the blush covering the other’s cheeks with one finger, “Never slept with anyone before?” Tobirama has to physically bite his tongue to keep a whimper from escaping.

“Not everyone is as obsessed with physical contact as you are” Tobirama manages to retort. It comes out far more breathily then he intended it to which seems to amuse Uchiha.

“Whatever you say Senju” Madara replies, though he does tuck the information away. Afterall, if he knows anyone truly obsessed with physical contact it’s Hashirama, and one would think the man’s brother would bare the brunt of that.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I love you all but I also felt a lot of pressure to make this one good-so hopefully you enjoy as this is how the characters decided to do it. I've also been trying to find a job because I'm broke and need one ^^; Also, fun fact: I had no idea about most of the stuff in the chapter until I wrote it. Madara took over and he had views and lore info that I wasn't informed of O_O

A Tobirama waits patiently for Madara to fall asleep he evens out his breathing slowly and slows down his heart rate until he is expertly faking sleep. He hopes this will put the other at ease and get him to fall in to deep sleep more quickly. He lays almost totally still as he waits. Finally, the Uchiha’s breaths seem to even out. Wanting to leave nothing to chance Tobirama waits for about another hour after this just to be certain. Once he is as sure as he could be that the other is indeed asleep, he slowly begins filtering his chakra though his body. Doing this reveals to irregularities placing blocks on his chakra network which means that he had two different suppression seals on him. He would need to short those out if he wanted to escape. Slowly and carefully he focussed his chakra around the first seal.  

Disabling seals of this sort could e done in two different ways. If someone had enough chakra they could force it through the seal causing it to short circuit and break. The second way to break the seal required far greater control, but it was also far more subtle. He had to direct his chakra around the seal bit by bit and essentially slowly peel the seal off his chakra system. Luckily for Tobirama his control had always been exemplary. The other problem with the second technique was that it could be time consuming. Even so he would have to use it since forcing his chakra through was sure to create a surge that would alert everyone in the compound and bound as he was, he would be back in new seals within a minute. So, he would just have to hope that the Uchiha beside him would stay asleep for as long as was needed even with the minute fluctuations that would appear in his chakra.

It took Tobirama about an hour to get the first seal off. This made accessing and manipulating his chakra easier which in turn made getting the second seal off easier and faster. The second seal only took him about twenty minutes to deal with. Once he finally had full access to his chakra he paused. Keeping his chakra suppressed to it would look like the seals were still fully functional to any sensors; he reached out slowly with his chakra sense. Everything seemed to be as it should be. He could feel his brother and Touka-both peaceful in the compound. There were no spikes of aggression, despair, pain, or anything else that could signify trouble from anyone in either compound. Relieved that everything was going according to plan, Tobirama directed a small amount of chakra to his hands. Slowly he fed it in to the rope holding his wrists in place until it snapped. With his hands now free he reached down to the rope around his legs.

Just as Tobirama was bent low enough for his hands to reach said rope he felt a hand, once again, close around his nape. Pleasure raced down his spine as his body once again went slightly limp and his head automatically tilted a tiny bit to the side in a visual show of submission. Once this registers fully a mix of shame and heat rises up his spine and paints his face a brilliant red. Even from his bent over position he can identify the distinctive glowing red eyes examining him and he knows the other far too well to hope that his reactions would go unnoticed.

“Going somewhere Senju?” Madara asks. He was not particularly surprised to find Tobirama attempting to escape. He’d awoken when he felt the other moving around. Even though the movements were small he had always been a slight sleeper due to his ingrained paranoia. The shock on the other’s face when he grabbed him was rather satisfying, though the rest of the Senju’s reactions confused him greatly. Tobirama, for his part, stayed silent. He would not be giving this man any answers tonight, he decided.

“I asked you a question Senju” Madara growled when, after a few moments, it became clear that the other did not intend to reply. He squeezed Tobirama’s neck on instinct and paused, rather taken aback, when the action causes Tobirama to whimper. Tobirama himself had started at the sudden squeezing of the most sensitive part of his body. The action, the shock of it, and the commanding tone were enough combined for him to lose some control over himself. Not much, but just enough that he couldn’t help the whimper that escaped him as he fought his instinctual need to obey the dominant.

“Senju?” Madara asks, concerned about the other’s behaviour. Tobirama was acting almost…submissive. But that couldn’t be; he was sure that he would have noticed something like that before. Or, at least, would have heard some sort of rumours about it. Everything, every piece of gossip, second-hand report, and even his own observations had pointed towards the man being a dom. An extremely dominant one at that. And yet…Madara decided to test the Senju’s behaviour a bit more just to see what would happen. Pulling the other upright he kept his hand on the Senju’s nape while using the other to grab both of his wrists in a firm grip.

“Tobirama, where were you going?” Madara asks coaxingly running a finger up and down Tobirama’s neck. Tobirama shuddered, still trying desperately to resist. In response to the shudder Madara began to lightly play with the hair near Tobirama’s neck while running his thumb over the other’s wrists. Tobirama was shaking now with the effort to resist. He’d also bitten though his lower lip, which he didn’t even notice until Madara let go of his hands to bring his fingers up to the other’s lips. Tobirama automatically opened his mouth when Madara pressed his fingers there. While he didn’t pause in his actions, inside Madara was slightly in shock. The idea of Tobirama being a submissive was starting to seem more and more plausible. Though his behaviour was still incredibly off, even when you took being a captive in to account.

“Tobirama, I’m not going to be made at you” Madara assures the other while feeling utterly out of his depth. He had no idea what to do with this situation. Something was clearly very wrong with the Senju in his grasp and he wasn’t sure how to even begin figuring out what exactly that was let alone dealing with and fixing it. Hell, he wasn’t even completely sold on his own theories of Tobirama being submissive. The albino had always been a driving force for the Senju. He’d clearly been in charge the very few times that their clans had clashed without Hashirama on the battlefield. According to their intelligence, the other also ran dangerous and far reaching missions fairly regularly. These types of missions could last for weeks or even months. Submissives were perfectly strong and capable, of course, but such things took a huge tole on their mental health. Hashirama was such an emotional cry-baby; there was no way he would subject his precious little brother to such things. And yet, the shaking Senju in his arms seemed to say otherwise. Madara felt a wave of rage sweep through him, but he forced it down. If Tobirama was submissive, as he was beginning to suspect, then showing anger or frustration right now would just make things worse.

“I won’t be angry, but I need you to answer me now. Where were you going?” Madara demands softly but forcefully while squeezing the other’s neck again. The build up is finally too much for Tobirama who feels something within him give away. Suddenly not answering the question, and resisting the other generally, feels impossible. He is so, so tired of fighting and Tobirama just can’t any longer.

“I-I’m not certain. Home, probably” Tobirama admits in a small voice. It’s not what he meant to say but lying seems ad impossible as staying silent at the moment.

“Probably?” Madara questions purely out of surprise. He’d expected the other to either stay silent once again or give a more definite, and perhaps insulting, answer. Not this seemingly honest, unsure reply so out of character for the other man.

“I don’t really want to go back, but Hashirama needs me and he’s all I have” Tobirama admits guiltily. Madara is gaping again at the subdued Senju in his arms and at the incredibly worrying answer he gave. Tobirama is still shaking and a few tears have started to drip down his face, which is ducked away from the Uchiha-possibly in an effort to hide said tears.

“Tobirama” Madara pauses to squeeze the other comfortingly, “are you a submissive?” He’s fairly certain about the answer at this point, but he needs to be completely sure. Tobirama seems to hunch in to himself even more at the question. Silence stretched for a long moment and Madara was about to open his mouth to break it when Tobirama finally gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Yes” Tobirama whispers sounding utterly defeated and deeply ashamed of himself. And Madara, Madara just sees red at that. How dare they…HOW DARE THEY?!?!?! Submissives are precious. They shower others in love and care, opening their hearts to all. They were the soothing balm that kept dominants sane. They would give everything for those they care about. And in return they deserved to be kept safe and happy, showered in affection. Mistreating a submissive was almost as taboo as stealing eyes in the Uchiha clan. It simply Was. Not. Done.

Not that submissives were viewed as weak or kept from the fight, but outside of battle and training they were showered in love and reassurance. To see a submissive reduced to this frightened, shaking thing in his arms-ashamed of what he was-was practically unforgivable. Growling deeply, he wraps both arms around Tobirama, dragging the submissive into his chest. Tobirama freezes at the growl, instinctual fear coursing trough him. Noticing this Madara forces himself to stop. Now was not the time for his anger, nor was Tobirama the target. He would deal with whoever had done this later. For now he had to keep his focus on the submissive in his arms.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay Tobirama. I’m not upset with you” Madara reassures the albino. He loosens his hold ever so slightly, making sure that the other is still firmly in his embrace. He does not intend on letting go anytime soon. Clearly someone (or many someones) had failed to give the submissive the affection he required. Madara intended to do exactly the opposite now that he knew the truth.

Tobirama, for his part, felt utterly over his head. He had no idea what was happening. One moment he’d been attempting to escape and not instead of dead or punished by the Uchiha who’d caught him he was being held in his arms and comforted. Even after having admitted his secret, his shame, his greatest the failing the other had not been repulsed. He had gotten angry, the growling made that clear, but he’d assured Tobirama that it wasn’t at him and try as he might the albino could see no sign that the other was lying to him.

“Why?” Tobirama asks, his voice barely over a whisper.

“Why what?” Madara responds, having no idea what the other was referring to.

“Why are you doing this?!: Tobirama explodes. “You just found out my true weakness. Shouldn’t you be laughing at me, or mocking me, or blackmailing me? Why are you being kind?!?!?” He demands. Madara, once again, feels taken aback. His gut begins sinking at the words and the honest, desperate, and confused look on Tobirama’s face. Somehow, and he hopes to Kami that he’s wrong, but somehow, he gets the feeling that this situation is even worse then he’d been imagining. And since what he imagined was already pretty bad on its own this is horrifying.

“Why would I mock you for your dynamic?” Madara asks carefully, forcing his voice to remain even.

“Because I’m a submissive. I’m weak. By rights I shouldn’t be anywhere near anything important let alone in charge of anything” Tobirama replies bitterly, repeating what his father had always told him about submissives. Madara feels as though someone had dumped ice water on him.

“No!” He growls forcefully. He lifts Tobirama’s head up so that the other is forced to look him in the eyes. “No” he repeats. “I don’t know who told you that, but they were wrong. You are perfectly capable, more than and your dynamic has nothing to do with that. And, if you-and all submissives-find some things harder to do you have other natural talents that balance it out. Your dynamic has nothing to do with your ability and your strength. Finding out the truth hasn’t changed my opinion on any of that in any way” Madara says with conviction.

“R-really?” Tobirama asks; his eyes beginning once again to fill with tears.

“Really” Madara assures him. At this confirmation the last little bit of composure Tobirama had been holding onto shatters. He releases a chocked sob and, unable to hold himself back, burrows into the chest of the only person to offer him comfort in over a decade. Now that the dam he had held back for so long (so, so, long) had opened the albino is lost. He continues sobbing into Madara’s chest.

For his part, Madara is now very, VERY, deeply concerned. He’s never seen any submissive react like this unless they had been deeply traumatized. For Tobirama to be reacting like this with someone he has no reason to trust, and in fact many reasons to distrust, simply because Madara didn’t look down on him for his dynamic…it speaks to bad, extremely troubling things. Unable and unwilling to press the distraught man for answers in his current state Madara continues to hug the other to himself. However, now that his mind isn’t busy struggling with the idea of a submissive Tobirama he can’t help noticing other things about the man. Without his conscious consent observations and memories from the past days filter through his mind.

Tobirama is thin in his arms-as he had previously noted. However, with the albino pressed so close to him he could tell the extent of it. There was no way it was simply because of the other’s body type as he was skin, bone, and muscle. There did not seem to be an ounce of excess anywhere on him. His cheeks were slightly sunken and Madara could feel his ribs through their embrace. When he ran his hand down the other’s back, to comfort him, he could count each and every bump on Tobirama’s spine. Carefully he brushed Tobirama’s hair away from his face. The desperate look revealed to him was heartbreaking, but there was more. Aside from the redness caused by his tears, Tobirama’s eyes were also circled by black. He looked as though he had never known a full night’s sleep. Additionally, there was the matter of his skin tone. Yes, Tobirama had always been pale. However, he was currently beyond that. His skin had the wavy, washed out colouring of a corpse. Instead of the fiery fighter Madara had seen stand on par (or even above) Izuna, Tobirama seemed to be a shade of himself. It was as though parts of him were fading away and the rest was just waiting to catch up.

Madara consciously forced himself not to freeze up as that last thought truly registered with him. Fading away. It couldn’t be! He wanted to scoff, to forget that he had ever even thought of it. And yet…and yet he couldn’t. Not when it fit so perfectly with everything he and Hikaku had observed. Not when it explained so much of Tobirama’s strange behaviour. Of course he would risk almost certain death for the possibility of saving those he cared about if he was dying anyway. He wouldn’t waste resources healing himself if he was already on his way to becoming a casualty anyways. He wasn’t worried about the impact his death would have on the Senju’s strength because loosing him a month or two earlier would barely cause an impact. The blasé-almost hopeful- way he talked about them killing him. Everything fit! Madara had the answers he’d been struggling to get, the answers that had alluded and distracted him since he’d first found the albino in Izuna’s room. And he wished he didn’t.

Fading was not a death he would wish on anyone. It was a rare phenomenon, all but unheard of-at least among the Uchiha. It was a sign of long-term abuse. It only happened when a submissive was pushed down, hurt, and ignored for so long that their very soul gave up. Bit by bit their bodies started shutting down. They lost energy, appetite, even the ability to sleep. Their eyes became vacant and empty. They stopped living emotionally and physically until finally their hearts just stopped completely. It was a death Madara wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. Which was rather ionic given that if asked the day before he could have claimed Tobirama as that worst enemy and would have thought him immune due to being a dominant. Instead he was faced with a Tobirama who had healed his brother where his clan could not. Who was a very, very hurt submissive and who, it seemed, was already in the throws of fading. In just over 24 hours his world had been thrown utterly on its head and he had no idea what to do about it.

Well, he amended gazing down at the man sniffling in to his chest, that was not completely true. He knew that he had no intention of giving up without a fight. He also knew that Tobirama was most definitely **NOT** going back to the Senju. Not when he was suffering-dying there and they did nothing about it, or worse didn’t even notice it. Mistreating a submissive was taboo-so clearly, he had to do his duty as clan head and remove the submissive from the abuser and help him recover. How exactly he would do the second part he was unsure of-but he would! And, as was his duty as clan head, he would punish those responsible for the submissive’s hurt. He doubted that Hashirama, if even a small piece of the boy he once knew lived on, would have caused this purposely. However, that it was due to negligence made it no less grave. He and Hashirama had once dreamt of building a village so their brothers could be safe from the constant war, and yet here was that man’s last little brother dying slowly in his arms. And not from a battle wound, but from a lack of love and care.

Yes, Madara decided while hugging the other closer to himself and whispering comforting words, yes Hashirama could not be trusted to take good care of the other so Madara would not be giving him back. Tobirama was his now and unlike those idiots in the Senju clan he fully intended to give Tobirama the love and care he needed. Fading could be stopped, thank the Kami. Tobirama was still responsive, still fighting, still talking, and still eating (if barely). That meant Madara still had a chance to turn this around. It would be difficult, but he was Uchiha Madara-he’d never so much as faltered when faced with hardships in the past and he wouldn’t now.

Unfortunately, Tobirama himself was likely to be one of Madara’s biggest obstacles in getting him well. He would have to find some way to convince (or force) the albino to stay. His concentration needed to be on curing the other, not guarding him. Still, that was a problem for tomorrow, he decided when he noticed that Tobirama seemed to be sagging against him more. Madara made sure to keep an arm around the other as he maneuvered them so Tobirama would not think he was trying to pull away or rejecting him. It took some time, but he eventually got them laying down on their sides with the albino curled into his chest. Lying like that with the tears slowing to a stop and rubbing his eyes like a sleepy child Madara could admit (if only ever to himself) that the other was actually slightly cute.

“Sleep Tobirama. Sleep” he murmurs soothingly. “we’ll figure everything out tomorrow” he added, though he doubted the other was listening as his breaths had deepened and begun to even out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the reveal happened. I know a lot of people may have expected something more dramatic but this is how it came out in my head and it's what fits the flow/characteristics of this story more. Hope it lived up to all the hype anyway.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm genna tell you guys a bit about how my writing process works. I have vague ideas about how things will go overall (like pairings, personality, ect.) however when I actually work I sit down, get into the headspace of the characters and start. So I have about as much of an idea of what will happen any given chapter ahead of time as you guys do so I actually can't preview how anything specific may go. Also, don't get used to the fast updating. I'd been reading all your comments and then couldn't sleep Wednesday night and then spent all of yesterday at my fav coffee shop, drank two lattes on no sleep and kinda spammed this out and had time today to type it up. Don't love the ending but it'll do. Hope you all enjoy.

Tobirama woke feeling well rested. This was note worthy mainly because he could not remember the last time this had happened. He could still feel the bone-deep ache of exhaustion that has been his constant companion since Hashirama had first started pushing him away but is seemed ever so slightly lighter. This allows him to actually hope for a good day (for once) until he opens his eyes. The sight of a room which is very much not his own has the memories of the night before rushing through his mind. His hope for a good day crumbles to dust and the exhaustion returns ten-fold.

Well, he supposes, it was nice while it lasted though, he really should have known better. Since when does anything ever go right for him? One biological quirk away from actually being the perfect son (the perfect weapon) that Butsuma had so desired. Hated by his only remaining brother for saving his life. Too late, to slow to actually save his other brothers-only good enough to _feel_ them die. Too weak to give Izuna a true death blow in battle and then too sensitive to his brother’s wishes to allow the Uchiha to truly die which likely would have saved many lives from his own clan. Too pathetic to even keep his greatest secret (one no one in his clan even knows) from his greatest enemies for even a full 24 hours. No, a small amount of touch and kindness and he broke as he hadn’t since his brothers’ deaths.

He can’t help feeling a brief flash of humour at the situation and can’t help the slight snort that escapes him. What would his enemies, aside from certain Uchiha obviously, think if they could see him now? The great Senju Tobirama, red-eyed demon of the battleground brought down not by any jutsu, or torture techniques, but by a hug and a few kind words. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Thank Kami for small mercies though since even if Madara did decide to spread this around no one would ever believe him. That was really the only upside he could see to the shitty clusterfuck that was this situation.

“Something amusing Senju?” A voice questions from beside him and were he a lesser shinobi he would have jumped. It was at this moment that how screwed he was truly sunk in. Because, although he had turned so that his back was to the Uchiha over the course of the night he should still have noticed the other’s presence immediately upon waking. Especially since Madara’s arms were still loosely wrapped around him and his flaming chakra was burning as strongly as ever. Somehow, over the course of one night, his subconscious had become so trusting of the other shinobi that he didn’t register to Tobirama as any sort of threat. The only other person who his senses could skip over like that was Hashirama. Even Touka would still have registered to him, and she was probably the only person besides his brother he could claim to care for on a personal level.

“Just thinking what others would say if they could see me now. Some cold, unfeeling demon shinobi I am” he belatedly answers. Now it is Madara’s turn to snort, though his is less in humour and more in derision.

“They’d probably have heart attacks which would serve them right for being superstitious idiots and forgetting that their enemies are as human as they are” Madara responds easily as he stretches. Of course, as soon as he is done his arms once again wrap themselves around Tobirama and pull him in so that he can feel the heat of Madara’s chest against his back. The albino makes a face at this move, but since it feels nice and his secret is already out anyways, he allows it. He just hopes that no one else sees them in this position-one person seeing, _knowing_ , his weakness is bad enough. He has absolutely no desire to raise that number even further.

Unfortunately for him, fate decides to use this moment to prove his earlier despairing thoughts true as the door all but slams open to reveal a far-too-energetic-for-this-time-of-day Izuna. Said Uchiha opens his mouth to say something, takes in what he’s seeing and freezes. Tobirama would be amused at the way his rival’s mouth kept opening and closing without him managing to form any words were the situation anything but what it was. As things stand instead of laughing, he does his best to wriggle as far away from Madara as he can on the limited space of the bed. In keeping with his luck lately, Madara seems to decide that he is having none of it and pulls him back the couple of inches he’d managed to travel. Madara then grips him all the more firmly, clearly not intending to let him out of his arms.

“Izuna, either come in or be outside but stop standing there with the door open. We are trying to keep him secret for the moment. Also, close your mouth-I’ll make breakfast soon so three’s no reason for you to eat flies” Madara drawls. Unlike the currently awkward and uncomfortable Tobirama he was finding the entire situation, and especially his bother’s reaction hilarious. Though, he did frown when despite his earlier actions the Sen-former Senju in his arms kept trying to create more space between them. He temporarily let go with one hand to lightly swat the other on the head.

“Stop squirming” he orders. Strangely this seems to snap his brother out of his shock as Izuna steps inside and closes the door and his mouth with a simultaneous snap. Tobirama, on the other hand, continued with his futile struggles. Growing quickly tired of this Madara pinches him hard enough on the arm to hurt.

“No” he repeats giving the albino a stern look. This made Tobirama finally settle. He was clearly unhappy, if the tiny adorable pout on his lips was any indication, but he stopped actively trying to fight the dom.

“Good” Madara praises and runs his fingers through the other’s hair a few times in reward. Tobirama seems confused, even shocked about his reaction to his obedience. This causes another wave of grief and rage to sweep through Madara. Subs should not be so surprised when they were praised and/or rewarded for doing what they were told. They should be used to words of praise and gestures of affection. He was once again reminded oh just how much Tobirama seems to have suffered until now. As it had last night, the thought sends another burst of fiery fury through him to build up the ball of rage he was, uncharacteristically for him, suppressing. Still, the one(s) to be angry at were not here and he would not allow his rage to cause him to do the same thing those he was angry with had and hurt the albino. No, instead he would gather it deep inside and unleash it all on his true targets when he had the chance. ‘Yes, that would be quite satisfying indeed’ he thought; his eyes flickering slightly red with anger and blood lust where Tobirama could not see them. Izuna, on the other hand, saw all of this and they way his brother was treating the Senju clearly.

“Aniki?” Izuna asked, his eyes flickering back and forth between the two figures on the bed. Something had clearly changed overnight, that he could tell easily. What exactly it was would be harder to pin down. The murder in his brother’s eyes was still there-stronger than he had seen it for a long time, even-but it was no longer directed at the albino. Instead of raging, or harming the other, or lashing out verbally Madara was treating Tobirama like he would Izuna or Hikaku after a bad mission or battle. And even more strangely, Tobirama was allowing it. Not happily certainly, but he was also not fighting against it tooth and nail like Izuna would have thought he would.

“Nii-san?” He asks again as all these observations registered. He felt like he had pieces of a puzzle that fit together but formed a blank picture. It was extremely annoying, and he couldn’t help wrinkling his nose slightly in frustration. Madara chuckled as he sat up and pulled a strangely accommodating Tobirama up with him, so he could keep the albino tucked into his side. He uses the hand not wrapped around Tobirama to beckon Izuna to join them on the bed, which he did without hesitation squeezing into his brother’s embrace on the other side. While he was still annoyed, being so close to his big-brother, his grounding force calmed him considerably-especially when Madara started carding fingers through his hair. He let out a little hum of contentment, surprised when another voice did the same. Subtly glancing out of the corner of his eye showed him that Madara was giving Tobirama the same treatment. That was really strange. While Madara was technically the don of all the Uchiha doms he had also never done something like this to any of them before. In fact, outside of a handful of truly desperate situations, he’d really only did things like this to Izuna and Hikaku, thought the latter far more rarely. Something was slowly niggling in the back of his brain, but he ignored it for the moment as he trusted that his brother had whatever all this was well in hand.

Madara was feeling just as content as the subs were at the moment. He always felt a bit more centered when Izuna was in his embrace where he could easily take care of him. Usually, the addition of any other subs, except maybe Hikaku who he truly did care for deeply, felt slightly wrong. However, it was different with Tobirama. Having the albino there felt nothing but right-almost as if a missing piece he didn’t even know about was now back where it should be. He decided not to question this and instead just pulled both of his subs closer to himself and allowed himself the rare luxury of simply enjoying their warmth.

Finally, after some time had passed, he knew they had to move on to other matters before anyone came looking for him or Izuna. Still, he decided that he would make sure this happened again-regularly in fact if he had any way in it. As he did indeed have quite a lot of say in it, he was fully confident it would. The first order of business was obvious, getting Izuna up to date on the situation and on board with his plans to steal (was it really stealing if he had practically given himself to them as good as gift wrapped?) and keep Tobirama. Once Izuna learned what Madara had be doubted that this would prove difficult.

“Tobirama” Madara said softly but firmly. As he had hoped this caused both of the submissives in his arms to focus on him. “I will not keep secrets from my brother, so you need to tell him what you told me last night” he says mater-of-factly. Izuna perks up even more at this, utterly curious and also sensing that this would be a huge turning point-as well as explaining the change between the other two since the night before.

Tobirama freezes. Somehow, and Madara was really not sure how with the other’s deathly pale skin, he managed to lose even more colour from his face. Madara…Madara wanted…Madara wanted him to WHAT?!?!? He couldn’t. No way. The only reason he’d been able to anything about it last night had been because of his emotional state and because Madara had asked him directly. Before that the words had never crossed his lips. He’d imagined saying them to Hashirama once, but that had been many many years ago. He’d fully expected to go to his grave without ever even hinting at them and now Madara was telling to say it like it was something simple? He’d been hoping that no one else would need to know, but even if Madara had insisted he’d assumed the Uchiha would simply tell them himself. Panic built in his chest as his eyes instinctually searched for a way out of this, out of here. Not that he could use it even if there was one with his chakra still low, his legs still tied, and Madara’s arm gripping him in place.

Madara and Izuna stare at the clearly panicking albino. Madara wished that he could just tell Izuna in Tobirama’s place but the other needed to learn that what he was was perfectly natural and that no one here would ever dream of shaming him for it. He also needed to learn to accept and even be proud of who he was and only forcing him to admit it himself to start him on this path. Izuna, on the other hand, was wondering what was so big that it could make the normally stoic Senju panic so obviously. Madara grabbed Tobirama’s neck and squeezed. With the other’s previous reactions to being touched here he was fairly certain this would work. Thankfully it did seem to. The hand squeezing his nape brought Tobirama back to himself and allowed him to center himself enough to begin breathing more evenly and shed the visceral panic he’d been exhibiting.

“Good, Tobirama, that’s good” Madara murmurs to the other. He lets go of the albino’s neck to run a smoothing hand up and down his back. “I know it’s hard, but I need you to do this for me. Just three words okay? I promise Izuna won’t react badly” he adds. He also shoots his younger brother a warning look because while he knows that his brother won’t actually really care Tobirama may take an exclamation of surprise as one of disgust and that’s the last thing they need with his current state. Izuna nods somberly, sensing the hidden warning in his brother’s words and promising not to react to whatever it is Madara wants Tobirama to tell him even as his anticipation rises even more.

Seeing no way out of this Tobirama takes a deep breath: “I-i” he begins faltering but gathering himself and all his determination. “I’m a submissive” he blurts out quickly, ducking his head to avoid seeing Izuna’s face. Despite what Madara had promised he is still expecting mocking laughter, taunts, or disgust from his rival.

Izuna, for his part, is silent because that was it??? That was the Senju’s huge secret? The secret he got a panic attack about admitting had been that he was a submissive? Had Madara not warned him to keep his first reaction to himself he would have laughed. Not in a mocking way, as Tobirama would have assumed, but rather in a disbelieving way because really? That was all? Seriously, he was beginning to wonder if Tobirama was actually some sort of bastard Uchiha for a minute. He could tell by the look in Madara’s eyes that this was not everything he needed to know but he would bet on this being the central sticking point-the causation of whatever else.

After Tobirama managed his blurted confession Madara had drawn him in even closer to lean against him. He was murmuring in to the albino’s hair how good he was, how brave, how well he’d done, how proud Madara was of him. As he had earlier, Tobirama seemed confused and conflicted about how he should react to the praise. His cheeks were reddening with every word from Madara’s mouth and yet he also felt kind of like preening because he had pleased this man. But the man he was so happy to please was also an enemy and one of the greatest threats to his brother and his brother’s happiness. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Tobirama, but was only actually about a minute Izuna responded.

“That’s it?” The Uchiha asks, seeming honestly confused. As Tobirama opens his mouth to ask what more could possibly be needed to complete his shame, Izuna continued on. “You’re submissive? If you hadn’t noticed a lot of people (like half the world) are submissive, including me even”. Tobirama gapes and Izuna blinks in shock. “We’ve been battling each other got years, how on earth did you manage to forget that????” Izuna asks, honestly curious about the answer to that because Tobirama never seemed to forget anything.

“By never knowing it” the shocked Senju responds more out of habit than anything. It was the Uchiha brothers turn to be confused because they could tell the answer was honest. Which was odd since while they may have never laid it all out in front of the Senju Izuna’s dynamic was hardly a secret and they’d all assumed-wrongly it seemed-that their rival clan knew.

“You’re a submissive and people know? How? I know you’re second in command and heir to your clan heir so how can you be submissive? Such things are not permitted!” Tobirama questions looking utterly bewildered and Izuna’s gut begins to sink exactly as Madara’s had the night before. Madara however, was putting these remarks together with Tobirama’s earlier words about how submissives should not be allowed near anything important and was painting a very disturbing picture.

“What do you mean not permitted. Of course, I’m clan heir” Izuna responds equally as confused. “Succession has nothing to do with dynamic-only with blood and strength.”

“Somehow” Madara drawls, mentally wishing pain on the Senju clan, “I don’t think the Senju operate under the same rules we do.” Understanding and horror are slowly growing on Izuna’s face as he speaks. A quick glance at the other’s eyes and he can tell that Madara has no intention of letting Tobirama return to that clan, and with what he’s heard so far, he’s in complete agreement. He senses that there is more to come but already he has chosen to support his brother in whatever Madara decides to do about this situation.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a few things: Wow you guys took the Senju sub thing really far O_O They're prejudiced and Butsuma is an ass but they need soldiers way too much to cripple themselves like that. I don't love this chapter (except maybe for Izuna's part) but it was needed to move the plot along. Hopefully time moving forward means that we can have some Senju POVs next chapter or the chapter after *crosses fingers*
> 
> Finally: The place I go most often to get writing done is a nice little coffee shop downtown. Since buses and coffee (inspiration) cost money and I'm currently unemployed I've been debating the idea of creating a small fundraising page. Would you guys be open to giving a couple dollars to help me out and get chapters done faster? Let me know.

Madara knows that he has to confirm the idea that has been growing in his mind; however, he really, really does not want to-mainly because the idea is horrifying and all but unspeakable. Still, if he is going to help this man then he needs to know. With this in mind he steals himself and asks the question that has been hovering on the tip of his tongue all morning.

“Tobirama, does anyone in your clan know your dynamic?” Madara asks. Tobirama is not surprised by the question. He knew it was coming after his slip-up upon finding out about Izuna.

“No” he answers honestly. “Had anyone found out I would have been taken out of the line of succession and reduced to a common foot soldier, useful as a main family member only if a marriage were to be needed” he elaborates.

It is the sad truth. While submissives were still permitted to fight they were not allowed to do anything else of importance. Planning, commanding, and even solo-missions were all off limits to them for fear of their innate weaknesses. It was only because of the war and their need for numbers and soldiers that fighting was allowed for them. A few generations back even that would have been unthinkable. Hashirama had talked of lowering the restrictions on subs even further, though the council protested, but for now this was the way of things. Tobirama would like to see his brother succeed on this issue, but most others with power thought as his father had. Which was why he had needed to hide in the first place. He needed to be as close to his brother as possible to help him with the everyday, mundane things required to lead the clan. This would have been impossible for him had others known.

The clan also felt more secure with his as their heir. His family slept easy knowing they had two strong dominant sons of Butsuma watching over them. They trusted in him and his strength. Trusted in him to protect and help lead them into a prosperous future. While he may not care for, or even know, many of his clan members on a personal level he cared for his clan as a whole and had been raised to see them as his responsibility. He had killed for them, would die for them, was dying for them in a way. He could not, would not subject them to the uncertainty knowing his secret would create. So, he had kept his silence.

“Your brother must…” Madara began only to trail off when Tobirama began shaking his head. Madara was horrified. No Uchiha sub had ever had to hide who they were. Subs were viewed as equal to doms in every way that mattered. He knew of many families who rejoiced when their child was found to be a sub. Considered it an honour that the gods had deemed them worthy of guiding and providing for one. He’d no clue that the Senju viewed things so differently. Hashirama had never expressed such views when they were children. If he had Madara would have ended their meetings far sooner-and he was fairly certain that he’d mentioned that Izuna was a sub a couple of times back then.

“Hashirama can’t believe in such things” he says, puzzled. Had the man truly changed so much? It hadn’t seemed so on the battlefield, but perhaps Izuna had been right to be so cautious. Tobirama snorted.

“Of course he doesn’t. He talks of changing the restrictions, but the elders refuse” Tobirama says, defending his brother.

“And yet he never noticed?!?” Izuna asks shrilly. Never before had he been so glad to have been born to the Uchiha clan or to have Madara as his brother. Madara had been the one to figure out his nature when they had been young and had always made sure to accommodate it without stifling him. How could Hashirama claim to love his brother and yet have missed something so obvious and fundamental to Tobirama’s being?

‘That’ Madara thought, ‘was a very good question.’ Tobirama was about a year younger than Izuna, and by the time he’d befriended Hashirama they’d already known Izuna’s orientation for quite some time. Given these facts Hashirama should already have discovered Tobirama’s nature by then. Had he truly been paying even the barest hint of attention to his brother? His last little brother for whom he claimed to want to build a village, so they could live in peace. Protecting their brothers had been the foundation of their shared dream, and yet the other didn’t even know his brother’s dynamic?!?! Madara clutched Tobirama closer. This just cemented his decision to keep the albino for himself instead of giving him back.

“I was very good at hiding it” Tobirama says quickly. It was not his brother’s fault that Tobirama had always been the sneakier of the two. Madara and Izuna shared a disbelieving look at this response.

“Yes, so good at hiding it that your enemies figured it out after only twenty-four hours” Madara deadpans. Tobirama grimaces.

“There were extenuating circumstances” he protests. Which was true, but still besides the pint in Madara’s opinion.

“Still unacceptable” Madara decides aloud as Izuna nods along in agreement. This was especially true since Hashirama also hadn’t noticed that Tobirama was dying because of his dynamic.

“Hashirama” Tobirama starts to defend his brother only to be interrupted by a soft nock followed by the door opening. The Uchiha brothers tense slightly before relaxing again at the sight of Hikaku who, rather like Izuna, freezes once he takes in what he is seeing. Thankfully he, unlike Izuna, had managed to shut the door before freezing.

“What?” Hikaku asks, feeling rather like he’d accidentally stumbled in to a parallel universe where nothing made sense. Izuna got a mischievous smirk on his face as he sensed a prime opportunity to prank his cousin.

“Turns out Aniki and Tobi are secretly in love and have been pinning for each other from opposite sides of the war which is why he healed me” Izuna mock whispers to Hikaku. Tobirama glares at him for daring to use that stupid nickname while Hikaku chokes and Madara slaps him lightly over the head.

“That is not even remotely true” Madara reassures his shocked cousin. Hikaku glares at Izuna, mentally promising that he would have his revenge on his stupid cousin.

“Okay, fiiiiiine” Izuna relents. “Madara discovered that Tobirama is actually a submissive and that no one in the Senju clan knows or has been taking care of him” he says. Hikaku snorts, not about to fall for another of Izuna’s tales this morning…except no one is contradicting him. Tobirama is looking away in shame and embarrassment, Madara has a pained grimace on his face, and despite Izuna’s jovial teasing tone his eyes are serious and angry. Hikaku gets a sick feeling in his stomach as he realizes this is the truth. It seems like something out of his nightmare, a reality too painful, too horrid to ever actually exist, and yet it does.  

“It’s not that big of a deal and I don’t need taking care of” Tobirama snaps, sick of the pitying look on Hikaku’s face.

“Yes, it is, and given you are currently fading, yes you do” Madara snaps. Three pairs of wide, horrified eyes immediately snap to him. Izuna’s and Hikaku’s because of what he had just given away Tobirama’s because the Uchiha _Knew_?! He’d told Madara a lot last night, but he was absolutely certain that he’d never even hinted at his condition.

“There’s nothing shameful in needing some care. Everyone does now and then-submissives and dominants” Madara reassures Tobirama having misunderstood the cause of his distress.

“Fading?!?” Hikaku squeaks while Izuna clamours over his brother to cuddle Tobirama even though the albino does his best to push him off.

“It is not a big deal” Tobirama grumbles, much the annoyance of the other three men.

“Yes, it is!” They snap in unison. Tobirama rather disagrees.

“It hasn’t effected my ability to fight so it is nothing to be concerned about” he retorts. “Besides, shouldn’t you be happy about it? A guaranty that one of your enemies’ strongest soldiers will soon no longer be a threat” he adds. The Uchiha, being Uchiha, seem to disregard the logic of Tobirama’s argument completely. Truly, he despairs for this clan.

“Nii-san” Izuna says warningly clutching his (former?) rival closer. Madara inclines his head causing both Izuna and Hikaku to relax somewhat. Even just from that they can tell that he has no intention of either allowing Tobirama to fade or returning him to the Senju. Tobirama narrows his eyes. He can tell they have reached some sort of agreement and his instincts tell him that whatever it is he likely will not agree with it.

“Anyways” Madara says quickly, sensing that Tobirama is close to snapping, “what brings you here Hikaku? Is there a problem?” He switches easily into clan head mode, ready to deal with whatever trouble may be brewing.

“Nothing like that Madara-sama” Hikaku reassures. “I simply wanted to see if you would be requiring my aid again today” he adds. Madara nods since this makes sense.

“Yes, I will thank you Hikaku” he answers. “But first breakfast, have you eaten?” he asks. Hikaku shakes his head in the negative. “Alright, stay here with Izuna and I’ll go make something for everyone” Madara says as he reluctantly extracts himself from the bed and its other occupants. He heads to wards the kitchen and snorts when he hears Hikaku make an exclamation of surprise followed by Izuna’s laughter. When he returns with two bowls of porridge, he sees that Izuna had pulled Hikaku on to the bed to form what can only be described as a cuddle pile on top of an annoyed looking Tobirama. Chuckling he urges the two out of the room to grab their own portions and then hands Tobirama his. The albino looks very surprised at being permitted to eat on his own and Madara only shrugs.

“Even you can’t do too much damage with a spoon” he explains as he retakes his seat on the bed. He makes ensures that their sides line up and are touching. Unable to argue with that logic, and not wanting to protest in case Madara changes his mind Tobirama just nods and begins to eat. He notices that the Uchiha had given him a small serving then previously though it still seems impossibly large. This time he manages to eat maybe 2/3 of it before he has to stop. While not pleased Madara decides to let it go for now since the albino _was_ eating and had already had a difficult morning. Instead he presses a kiss to Tobirama’s head as he takes the bowl away.

“Good, we’ll try for a bit more at lunch” he says. He fully intends to get Tobirama’s appetite back to what it should be, but he knows that it’ll be a slow process.

By the time he finishes his own meal Izuna and Hikaku have made their way back in to the bedroom. He knows he has work he needs to get doe today and he also knows that he can’t leave Tobirama this free. Despite his breakdown and confession about not really wanting to return to the Senju compound the night before Madara knows that Tobirama will still try to escape-if only so he can return to his brother. As much as it pains him now that he knows the truth, he will have to restrain the albino again. He thinks he remembers a clan heirloom which could provide a more permanent solution, but he’ll have to look through the clan’s records to confirm his vague memories.

“Tobirama” he says softly as he makes sure to catch the other’s eyes. “I have to tie you back up now. I don’t want to, but I also can’t let you escape; especially after learning what I have” he says. Tobirama grimaces, but he’d been expecting this. Nice as they were acting the Uchiha were still the enemies of the Senju and he was still their prisoner. So, he doesn’t fight as Madara once again secures his hands and places suppression seals on him-three this time just to be cautious. He does flinch slightly when his awareness of his brother’s chakra (and everyone else’s’) fades. All three Uchiha look very apologetic at that.

Madara grabs Izuna and leaves Hikaku with a hug and instruction to make sure Tobirama ate something at lunch. He then drags his unusually serious little brother into the clan archives in search of a solution to this mess. It takes him most of the day, but he finds it. Records of a clan heirloom traditionally used on unwilling brides. A cuff that binds the wearer’s chakra and freezes them if they try to leave the compound. Additionally, it can only be removed by the person who put it on them or a direct relative of that person. So, him or Izuna un this case. He grins in triumph as he digs it out. Izuna seems equally gleeful as he lugs an extremely old and dusty scroll over to Madara.

“What’s that?” Madara asks.

“Old clan laws” Izuna says as his grin turns into a smirk. That smirk usually means he’s about to ruin someone’s day so Madara feels justifiably worried as he waves for his brother to continue.

“So, you know how mistreating a submissive is taboo and as clan head you’re supposed to step in and claim the sub, so they can be moved to a healthier environment” Izuna starts. Madara nods because yes? This is common knowledge Afterall. “Weeeeell…there’s a sub-clause that states that this responsibility is not limited to only those subs with Uchiha blood” Izuna continues. “Likely it was originally meant to protect subs that had married into the clan” he explains.

“But with the wording being what it is we can use it to legitimize my taking Tobirama so the elders cannot get to him” Madara says catching on to what his brother is hinting. A matching smirk grows on his face.

“And it would, of course, be a violation of this duty to allow a sub to return to an environment already proven to be harmful” Izuna adds as his smirk gets even bigger. “So, returning him or ransoming him to the Senju is out of the question-according to our sacred ancestors’ decrees at least.” Madara can’t help laughing because the elders use such rhetoric far too often for them to dare argue against it in this instance. Izuna has, in one brilliant move, found a way for them to claim and keep Tobirama without needing to continue sneaking around the rest of the clan. He pulls his wonderfully devious little brother in for a hug.

“Thank you” he whispers into Izuna’s hair. Izuna hugs him back.

“No one deserves what he’s had to live through” Izuna answers seriously.

“I know. I have no intention of ever letting him suffer like that again” Madara assures his brother. “Last night…he acted like no one had ever held him, had ever comforted him before” he adds. Izuna is silent for a few moments before his expression hardens again.

“Well, we’ll just have to get him used to it won’t we” he says. While his tone is casual and even careless his eyes are hard and serious. In the face of his brother’s support Madara can’t hold back the rest of what he’s been thinking.

“The way he acts, it makes me wonder if he’s ever been able to relax. If he’s ever let his guard down around anyone.” He nearly whispers the horrible thoughts. Izuna sucks in a sharp breath because _there is no way_ -but it also would make a sick kind of sense.

“How is he sane?!?!” Izuna exclaims. He’s not certain that his sanity would survive a few months of living like that-let alone the years Tobirama must have.

“His instincts must have latched onto some goal, something he felt he needed to do to prove himself, to prove to the doms around him that he was good, that he was useful no matter how they overlooked him, no matter that he was never praised or rewarded for it…” Madara theorizes aloud. The brothers are silent for a long moment as they digest the implications of this.

“I’m going to kill Hashirama” Madara finally states, almost pleasantly. He doesn’t know exactly what Tobirama’s driving goal(s) were but given the albino’s loyalty to his brother he could bet that Hashirama was at the center of them.

“I’ll help” Izuna promises. He’d never particularly liked the current Senju head. As a child he’d felt like the brunette was trying to steal his brother away from their family-away from him. As an adult he’d assumed that Hashirama’s talk of peace was a trick. That he was trying to weaken their clan and Izuna could not allow his clan (his brother) to suffer even more. And now all his fears seem to have gained shape in the form of the man’s own younger brother who was hurt and even dying because of the elder’s carelessness. It enraged him.

Tobirama was cold on the outside, yes, but he was also fast, and strong, and determined. He led every charge and covered every retreat. He always had some new trick up his sleeve. He was a warrior who should die in an epic battle (preferably against Izuna himself as he’d always imagined) with glory and honour. He should not die slowly as everything that made him _him_ left until there was nothing in his body. Much as he’d always hated it, Tobirama had always been a constant in his life. His foil, his rival, his perfect counter. The only one who could always match him on the battlefield. That the other’s strength could have faded without anyone knowing until Izuna had bested him when the other was already compromised burned. It tainted the idea of a victory he’d do long imagined. Invalidated the goal he’d striven for since childhood. Instead of being the true victor of their long contest he would have just been the accomplice to Hashirama’s fratricide or the tool Tobirama had used to kill himself with. Izuna was no one’s tool, nor would he allow anyone to use him in such a way. The very idea of it was unforgivable, and the possibility of it deserved whatever revenge his brother could think up.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years everyone. I want to thank you all because almost 10,000 hits and over 200 reviews is amazing. I'm glad you're all enjoying this so much. My resolution for this year is to try and get at least 1 thing posted a month. Anyways, on to the fic. Kind of skipped over the Uchiha elders reaction (sorry) but we should have more Uchiha characters around soon-hopefully including mini!Kagami. So enjoy a glimpse into Hikaku's psych, plotting Uchiha brothers, still angsty Tobirama and a sneak peak at the Senjus. Also including Mito who hasn't been mentioned before because I wasn't if I was going to include her before now. And, please leave a note letting me know what you think.

Once Madara and Izuna had found what they needed they’d called an emergency council meeting. There they explained the events leading up to their capture of Tobirama and what they had learned about him and the Senju (while leaving out a few ~~most of the~~ details). The elders had protested their plan, of course, but presented with the clan laws Izuna had found there wasn’t much they could do. Especially after Izuna hinted that once Tobirama was stabilized and had seen how a truly honorable clan truly treated their submissives he would be so acclimated to the Uchiha he would do anything to be allowed to stay. Both he and Madara knew how unlikely that actually was, but still, the elders ate it up. Finally appeased, the elders agreed that Tobirama may stay among the clan so long as Madara kept the chakra cuff on him and any ideas around removing it would first be run by the full council. They also agreed to keep the capture secret from the outside world for the moment, as they believed that it would give Madara time to “tame” Tobirama without having to fight off Senju invasions. The whole process was exhausting and annoying, but by dinner time the brothers had what they’d been after. Not that they wouldn’t have done what they wanted anyways, but this way they didn’t have to hide from the clan. Mentally exhausted they trudged back home to tell Hikaku and Tobirama what they had managed to get done.

Madara paused in the doorway to his own room, flashing his sharingan just to make sure the sight before him wasn’t a genjutsu. It wasn’t. Izuna, confused as to why his brother had stopped walking, glanced around him only to burst out laughing. Lying on the bed as he had been this morning was a still bound Tobirama who was scowling fiercely. Hikaku sat behind him with the albino positioned between his thighs. He was currently doing his best to braid short white hair while ignoring a silent promise of death from red eyes. It was the weirdest, and cutest, scene Madara had ever seen. He was rather grateful that his genjutsu check had ensured that the image would be forever burned into his memory.

“Madara-sama, Izuna” Hikaku greeted them. He seemed completely relaxed as Madara entered the room followed by his still laughing younger brother.

“I like the new look Tobirama” Izuna managed to get out between giggles. Madara despairs for his brother’s dignity and survival instincts. Tobirama’s death glare homed in on Izuna with a laser focus.

“When I get out of here you will be in for a world of pain Uchiha” the albino hissed. Madara was honestly impressed how intimidating he was managing to be while tied down with multiple small braids sticking out of his hair. Izuna, however; didn’t seem particularly concerned about the threat.

“Sure, Senju, sure” Izuna responded flippantly causing both Madara and Hikaku to roll their eyes. Tobirama, for his part, simply narrowed his eyes and glared all the harder. Madara decided that distracting Tobirama would be the best idea for his brother’s health.

“So, we’ve found some solutions to our problem” Madara said gesturing towards Tobirama.

“Oh?” Asked Hikaku while Tobirama shot him a look that said he knew exactly what Madara was doing. Ignoring the look, Madara pulled out the cuff.

“This is an old clan relic. It will suppress your chakra, and should you leave the set parameters, in this case the clan compound, it will freeze you and send a chakra alert. It can only be removed by the person who put it on you and their direct relatives” Madara explained. “With this on we won’t have to keep you tied up in here, though you will still have at least one guard with you at all times” he adds. Tobirama makes a face but doesn’t fight as Madara unties him and then places the cuff on his left wrist and locking it with a small burst of his own chakra. He then removes the now useless chakra suppression tags.

“We, or well Izuna really, also found an obscure clan law which allows for us to have you in our personal custody. We’ve conferred with the elders already. While we can’t give you any weapons or allow you to access your chakra you may wonder the compound without fear” Madara continues. Without really thinking he sits on the bed and grabs Tobirama’s other wrist. He then began rubbing softly over the slight red marks left over from the rope. “As I said you’ll be under guard-likely one of the three of us most of the time and you may not leave the compound, but inside it you are free to explore” he reiterates. Madara feels strangely nervous about how Tobirama will react.

“Hardly ideal, but better then remaining bound to this bed” Tobirama says when it becomes clear they are waiting for him to respond. He is far from pleased about the situation and the cuff will make escaping very hard indeed. However, if he must remain here at least he will not be overly uncomfortable.

“I’m amazed your elders would allow this” he adds truthfully. While he could see Hashirama steam rolling over the Senju council to decree treatment such as this the elders themselves would never agree to it. Madara’s face contorts at his remark leaving him looking torn between a proud smirk and a slightly ashamed grimace. The overall effect us quite odd. Tobirama raises his eyebrow at the reaction, silently demanding an explanation. Madara opens and closes his mouth a couple times. He seems unable to find the words he’s looking for. Luckily for him Izuna is more than willing to explain in his usual blunt manner.

“Considering clan laws state that the clan head has to remove and rehabilitate mistreated submissives they couldn’t really argue against it without potentially creating other openings to ignore the laws of out ancestors in the future” Izuna said with a shit eating smirk. Tobirama feels a wave of fear and betrayal go through him-how dare they out him like that! If the Uchiha are anything like the Senju then the whole clan will know his secret, his orientation, by morning. Then the rest of what Izuna us implying hits him and irritation washes out all his other emotions.

“I haven’t been abused!” He exclaims glaring at his rival for even suggesting it. He gets three _very_ flat looks in return.

“Maybe not outright” Madara allows, “but neglect is just as damaging as active abuse”. And, what you know what to look for it is very clear that Tobirama has been horribly neglected at the very least-and for a very long time. Not to mention the toxic attitudes his clan seems to have from the stories he’d shared. The albino was fading for heaven’s sake! That was pretty clear proof that he had _not_ been in a healthy environment.

“It’s not their fault” Tobirama begins to defend his clan. He had never been all that close to most of them, had always kept his guard up even around those he did trust. He’d gotten himself into his mess; he was the only one who should be held accountable for it. Before he could say any of this, he was cut off by Hikaku of all people.

“Yes, it was. Even if they didn’t know it was still their fault because they should have made sure that you felt comfortable enough to confide in them. You shouldn’t have ever felt like you had to hide in the first place. That you did feel that need, that you still feel that way, and that they never noticed is on them” Hikaku spoke with conviction. He’d never felt he needed to hide what he was. He’d always known about Izuna, and Madara had always been there for him when he needed it. If his short-tempered cousin could take the time to care for him and Izuna, could be observant enough to notice when he was needed, then the supposedly ever patient and caring Senju head had no excuse for his apparent inability to do the same.

Unlike most of his clansmen Hikaku was not particularly hot headed. His anger was rare and hard to summon. However, once he was angered, he did not let it go-and he was angry now. While violence, death, and even torture were inescapable realities of being a shinobi you were supposed to be safe within your clan. Clan was family and family was supposed to have your back no matter what. That anyone would do something like this to their family disgusted him. It was, to him, akin to harming a child. Utterly unacceptable. He knew that Madara and Izuna were already plotting retribution on Tobirama’s sake. That knowledge and the need to watch over the man himself were the only things holding him back from marching towards the Senju compound himself. That did not mean he wouldn’t take any chance presented to him to get retribution. Showing Tobirama that the way his clan had treated him was wrong seemed like a good place to start.

Tobirama couldn’t deny the logic in Hikaku’s arguments, but he still knew that it had to be his fault. He’d failed his younger brothers. He alienated everyone around him-drove even those he cared for most away. It was his punishment for failing those he loved over and over again. His current situation was just the latest failing. Their rival clan had him captive and even if he managed to escape, they knew his greatest secret. If they spread his dynamic around and his clan found out about it, they would lose faith in him and Hashirama. Even if he told the truth, that his brother had never known, some would still doubt. They would hold it and use it against his brother. Even worse, the Uchiha could spread it around and then use him as leverage. No matter how distant they had grown he knew his brother would still move heaven and earth to get him back-especially if he found out the truth. Either way, he’d once again failed his brother. The one purpose for his pitiful, unworthy existence and he’d once again messed it up. Tobirama was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice his hands clenching into fists, but the three Uchiha certainly did. Madara reached out and gently grabbed the hand he wasn’t already holding and carefully cradled them in his own. He then squeezed them just hard enough to get the albino’s attention.

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong” Madara says matter-of-factly. “Nothing you’ve done could be bad enough for you to truly deserve this” he adds, easily guessing where Tobirama’s thoughts had gone. He is also very certain of what he is saying. While dangerous and deadly the albino is not particularly cruel. He is not the type to draw out other’s suffering-always trying for clean, quick kills. While Madara may have wanted him dead he had never thought the albino without honour, or at least as much honour as a shinobi could afford. Tobirama opens his mouth, presumably to contradict or argue with what Madara had said, but he is silenced by Izuna shoving his hand over the other’s mouth.

“Nope, Dara’s right. You’re way too rule abiding and too much of a stick in the mud to have done anything that awful” he interrupts. Tobirama rolls his eyes but didn’t bother trying to argue when Izuna took his hand back.

“So, Hikaku, did he eat at lunch?” Madara asks in an effort to move on. He knows that convincing Tobirama that he is neither at fault nor deserving of what happened to him will take time. Luckily, Madara is perfectly okay with sticking this out for the long haul. Tobirama is his now according the Uchiha clan law and custom and he does not abandon what is his.

“Yes Madara-sama” Hikaku replies. “I made soup and untied him to eat. He managed a half bowl” he reports. Tobirama makes another displeased face at how they were talking about him (like some child) but he knew that any protests he could try would fall on deaf ears; so, he kept his silence.

“Good” Madara says, addressing both of them. He gives Tobirama’s hands another gentle squeeze since he’s still holding them. He then let’s go and reaches over to ruffle Hikaku’s hair. Hikaku beams, glad to have been able to help. Tobirama still seems surprised by Madara’s reaction. As it had this morning it makes Madara’s stomach lurch sadly before tightening in anger. Still, just as with changing Tobirama’s thinking it will take him time to get used to being treated like this, like he should be. But get used to it the albino would, of that he was determined.

“Dinner then, would you like to stay Hikaku?” Madara asks. Hikaku shakes his head.

“I should get home. I’ll come tomorrow morning again though” he replies. He throws a smile at Tobirama and playfully tugs on one of the albino’s braids as he gets up. Tobirama huffs but does nothing truly antagonistic at the gesture. This makes Hikaku’s smile grow into a grin. He accepts Madara’s grateful side hug and Izuna’s playful nuzzling before truly taking his leave. Once he’s gone Madara ushers the remaining subs out of the room and into the kitchen. While Madara cooks Izuna babbles at Tobirama about the layout of the house and compound since the albino will now be able to explore them. While he doesn’t appear particularly enthusiastic about this, Madara notes that Tobirama is truly listening and paying attention to what Izuna is saying.

Once the food is ready, he serves up three portions. Tobirama’s is noticeably smaller then his and Izuna’s. Yet another thing he will have to work on slowly. While patience is something he often struggles with he can practice it when he truly needs to (no matter what Izuna may say).

It feels rather surreal to him, sitting here at a table peacefully eating dinner with his brother and Tobirama. Even a day ago he wouldn’t have been able to imagine this. Then Tobirama had been someone he was grateful to but didn’t trust. Before that he was a threat to the thing Madara cared about most-Izuna. Of course, then Izuna would have automatically attacked the albino on sight. Now they sat peacefully at the same table and instead of worrying about guarding his brother he was worrying about getting the ex-Senju to eat. And instead of trying to attack, Izuna was trying to sneak more food unto Tobirama’s plate in an effort to encourage him to eat more.

It was amazing how much could change so quickly. How a few facts turned a hated enemy into someone precious. Something they would protect at all costs. Tobirama has not realized it yet, but he has been adopted into the Uchiha. Word is likely already spreading though the clan as they ate and the bracelet on his arm would confirm it for anyone who sees him. Madara can’t help the rush of satisfaction he feels every time his eyes land on the cuff. Something in him both settles and preens at seeing Tobirama bare his mark. He wishes he could proclaim it to the world, that the other man was now his, but he couldn’t. Not yet at least.

For the moment, along with the news of Tobirama’s new status, his decree that no one outside the clan was to find out about it was also spreading. He wanted to see how true Tobirama’s predictions about his clan’s reaction to his absence would be. Wanted to see how Hashirama would react. How long it would take the brunette to discover that his brother had disappeared and what he would do when he did. He would use the knowledge to plan going forward-to see how much he would need to punish the idiot. It would also serve as a start to said punishment. After treating his brother so dismissively and ignoring him when he was there Hashirama deserved to experience Tobirama vanishing for real.

He’d talked to Izuna about his plan during the afternoon and his brother had been all for it. Izuna had wanted to ensure Hashirama would never find out what had happened to Tobirama but Madara had disagreed. Better that the other find out the truth. Find out how badly he’d failed Tobirama. And then find out that it was because of this failure that he’d lost his brother to someone else. Put that way Izuna had seen the beauty of his plan. Tobirama did not know it yet, but he was no mere captive. He was an Uchiha now, and Uchiha were not known for giving up prizes once they had acquired them.

* * *

 

Senju Compound

Touka was beginning to get worried. She had not seen het youngest cousin in over two days. This was very unusual. While him resting the day after a battle did happen, he’d usually reappeared by now to spar with her, or to train/play with the clan children, or to drag Hashirama back to clan matters and paperwork. And yet, not one sighting of silver hair or red eyes anywhere. She would have thought him on a mission, but no paperwork had been filed and he always told her before he left for missions. Hopefully he’d just gotten caught up in another research binge. If he hadn’t shown his face by the next day, she was going to find Tobirama and drag that little bastard out by his hair before beating him black and blue for making her worry.

On the other side of the compound Hashirama felt a sudden stab of fear and anxiety. Looking around he could spot no possible reason for it. The kitchen was in order, his lunch dishes in the sink waiting to be washed with his dinner dishes once he was finished. The house was dark and quiet as Mito (his beautiful bride) was out visiting a friend. Even Tobirama’s room was silent, his brother taking a much-needed break for once or he was out somewhere with Touka. Either way, at least he wasn’t working. So really, everything seemed just about perfect as far as the Senju head was concerned. This in mind, Hashirama shrugged and brushed the feeling off-something he could soon come to regret.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt your regularly scheduled Uchiha with Tobirama for some Senju. Slightly shorter chapter because I find Hashirama waaaay harder to write than any of the other characters so far, but hopefully this turned out okay. Let me know what you think, please!

Touka woke with the sun. Usually she would have grabbed any chance to sleep in, but something in her gut made her unable to do so this morning. She wasn’t sure why, but the uneasy feeling had been getting worse and worse since yesterday. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to get anymore rest until she’d checked in with her little cousin. Last time she’d felt like this she’d found that he’d been hiding a wound because he’d deemed it too minor for the healers to bother with. For a wildly acknowledged prodigy he could be a massive idiot at times. And Hashirama, the even bigger idiot, was too caught up in his own world to notice whatever was going on with anyone else. For all that Hashirama professed to love his brother he was often too lost in his own world to pay Tobirama much attention. If Touka was being honest she’d been resenting him for that for awhile now. Tobirama had slowly been getting more and more withdrawn and a part of her feared for what he would become if it continued.

Shaking off her melancholy thoughts Touka applied her usual blood red lipstick and grabbed her naginata on instinct. She almost never went without it-even within her own clan compound. Some called her overly paranoid, but most understood her caution. Slinging the weapon over her shoulders she meandered her way towards the clan head’s house. Once she got close to the house the traps automatically disabled for her, allowing her to push the door open with no resistance. Tobirama had added her chakra to the mattress years ago after getting tired to waking up to her banging on their door in the mornings.

The house was dark and still. A part of her wanted to use the rare opportunity to startle Hashirama awake in front of Mito, something that always proved amusing, but she resisted. She had her priorities this morning. She toed off her sandals, no need to anger Mito, and made her way down the hall towards Tobirama’s room. She keeps her footsteps silent, hoping for the rare opportunity to surprise her ever aware cousin. She holds her breath as the door opens slowly. Hearing nothing, she creeps in to the room poised to jump only to pause at the last second. The bed was empty and did not appear to have been slept in for quite some time. In fact, there was a thin layer of dust covering the whole room. Touka finds this odd since Tobirama is usually such a huge neat freak.

A sick feeling building in her gut she does another once over of the room. Her eyes catch on Tobirama’s armour. Though it is hung up neatly, something about it seems off. Moving closer her eyes land on the dirty splashes which stood out starkly from the blue of the armour. Closer inspection reveals the splashes to be blood allowed to dry on the armour. In addition to the blood spatter on the outside of the armour she can see that there is a concentrated stain inside it near the should. Her eyes in irritation at the proof that Tobirama had indeed been injured during their last battle.

This irritation wars with worry inside of her as Touka turns her attention towards the bed. Shock bleeds through her when she spots Tobirama’s happuri face guard lying there. Tobirama had never left that lying around, not since he had first had it crafted. Even when on undercover missions he usually had it hidden somewhere on his person. Reaching for it her hand brushes against a piece of paper that her shock had allowed her to overlook. She grabs both and sits down on the bed to read the note. Her eyes scan over it once, and again a second time, and a third-unable to believe what she was reading. Not only had Tobirama left on a mission without filing the proper paperwork (she’d checked a couple days ago) he’d done so while injured to go on what sounded like a suicide mission! Her worry turns to outright fear as her irritation fades to white hot anger. What had that idiot been thinking?!?!?! They had plenty of other fit fighters who could have taken whatever mission he was on instead of him, especially given he was hurt! The anger is not only directed at Tobirama. There is only one thing, or rather one person, who could have driven him to do this. Luckily for her that person lived in this very house. Getting up and walking into the hallway Touka took a deep.

“HASHIRAMA!” She screams loudly gripping Tobirama’s note and happuri and stomping down the hall. She hears a high-pitched shriek followed by a telltale thump. Under normal circumstances Touka would have found this hilarious, but this was anything but normal circumstances. She throws the door to Hashirama’s room open and without really thinking brings her naginata to bare, pointing it towards the drowsy and confused figure on the floor. Hashirama blinks wide, startled, brown eyes up at her.

“Touka?” He asks sounding utterly bewildered which manages to enrage her even more.

“What the fuck have you done?!?!” She demands, all but spitting the words out. He just blinks up at her some more and tilts his head slightly to the side. Her looks every inch the confused innocent in that moment, but she doesn’t buy it for a second.

“Touka, could you please explain what has you so upset?” Another female voice adds in as Mito sits up. Unlike her husband she appears completely composed, despite her rather rude awakening.

“What did you say to him? What did you do that he would do something like this?!” Touka growls, though she tries to keep her voice slightly more even.

“Say what? To who? Who did what?” If anything, Hashirama sounded even more confused.

“Tobirama!” She shouts again shoving his note and faceplate at Hashirama. She feels vindictive glee as he starts reading the letter only to pale significantly. By the time he’s halfway through his eyes have started to fill with tears which have spilled down his cheeks by the end.

Hashirama feels numb. He can barely believe what he is reading. He’d expected a lot of things upon his rude awakening by Touka. This was not one of them. He couldn’t seem to make sense of the words in front of him. This has to be a prank of some sort. A set up by Touka and Tobirama despite his brother’s usual distain for such things. To do something like this was equally unlike his brother. Tobirama always told him before he left the compound-always! For him to leave like this…it sits wrong with him. Touka is still glaring at him, her form shaking with repressed rage.

“What did you say to him?” She demands once more, her voice shaking just as much as she is with rage, despair, and even grief. “What did you say to drive him to leave without backup, without proper notice, without even cleaning his armour or seeking medical attention?” She’s crying by the end of the question. There is a sense of hopelessness in her eyes, as though she had already accepted Tobirama’s death as inevitable.

“Injury?” He asks, confused. He does not remember Tobirama being injured.

“Yes injury! There was blood on the inside of his armour. That could only have happened if he was bleeding inside it!” Touka was clearly nearing the end of her patience, but Hashirama couldn’t bring himself to care. Not with the ice cold feeling currently spreading out from his chest. His brother, his last little brother had been injured. Impossible. How could he not have noticed?! Surely, he would have, wouldn’t he? When had he stopped checking his brother over at the end of every battle? Since when was forcing Tobi to the medics not the first thing he did after every battle? Thinking about it he couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d done such a thing. If he was being honest, he could barely remember the last time he’d spared his brother a glance after battle. Guilt wells up inside him. How could he have been so negligent?

“What. Did. You. Say?” Touka interrupts his thoughts, clearly having run out of patience. Hashirama’s mind wanders back to the conversation he’d had with his brother after the last battle. Though, it could hardly be truly called a conversation.

“I-I didn’t. He just…I just wanted to…” Hashirama tries to gather his thoughts and his words. Touka was obviously unimpressed with the effort. From her raised eyebrow so was Mito. He took a deep breath and forced the words out. “I was upset. He’d injured Izuna so badly, there’s no way he’ll survive and with Izuna dead there’s no way Madara will ever agree to peace with us” Hashirama all but whispered. He’d been so frustrated and Tobirama was there-silent and stoic as always. So uncaring that he may have just ruined everything Hashirama had been working towards, everything he’d wanted since he was a child.

“You what?” Touka asks, utterly deadpan. “YOU IDIOT!!!” She shrieks, visibly enraged. Fury is etched into every line of her body. She knew her cousin could be stupid at times, but this took the cake, and she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to forgive him for it. Tobira was her baby cousin, he was her rock. He’s the one who had always been there for her. He’d always taken the time to spar with her or to help her with difficult techniques. When everyone put her down for being a woman and a front-line fighter Tobirama had stood up for her. He’d pushed her to train and train and train until her skills as a fighter were worth more to the clan than her potential for baring children. And then he’d argued her case in front of the counsel and his own father when the elders had been thinking of marrying her off.

She’d always tried to return the favor. As his father got tougher and tougher on him and he struggled to live up to expectations while his brother pushed him further and further away at the same time. She made sure he ate, got rest, and came out into the compound for socializing occasionally. Trying to worm her way I as he seemed to set himself farther and farther apart from the rest of the world as his relationship with Hashirama got worse and worse. Lately all that had seemed to make him happy had been the chance to train and play with the clan children-not that he’d been able to do so very often. He’d been too busy training himself, fighting, and helping run the clan. Since Hashirama had married Mito he’d been shoving off more and more of his work in order to spend time with her; and Tobirama was, of course, always the one to pick up the slack. He’d also been taking more and more missions so that Hashirama wouldn’t have to leave the clan and his wife. She’d seen all this but hadn’t known how to stop it, so she hadn’t done much od anything. Seeing now how it was ending she really wishes she had.

“The rest of us aren’t like you and Madara” Touka whispers so quietly Hashirama has to strain to hear her. “We don’t have the luxury of knowing that out opponents won’t kill us if we falter” her voice gets harder with every word. “If Tobirama hadn’t taken that shot at Izuna, IZUNA MAY WELL HAVE GOTTEN ONE ON TOBIRAMA INSTEAD!” She’s screaming at the top of her lungs by the end, planting slightly when she’s done.

Hashirama feels about five inches tall after everything Touka has said. He knows the others are really fighting for their lives, of course he does! He mourns the losses after every clash and battle but he just…forgets sometimes in the heat of the moment. Tobirama and Touka are both so strong that he forgets that one slip, one bad day, and he could lose them.

“But-but, Tobirama’s so strong. He didn’t have to go for the killing blow! He could have just injured Izuna instead” he tries to defend himself. Both women give him identical looks of disbelief at that.

“Really? REALLY?!? That’s your excuse? Yes, Tobi is strong, but so is Izuna. Izuna’s managed to keep up and go head to head with Tobirama since we were all children. If Tobira had held back even a fraction he’d be dead” Touka says, laying out the obvious. “Get your head out of the clouds Hashirama, before it costs us everything. It may well have already cost us your brother” she spits out. That said she turns on her foot and marches out. She’s going back to Tobirama’s room to search for clues of where he may have gone and then she’s going after him-with or without Hashirama’s permission. Hashirama himself is left kneeling on the floor clutching his brother’s face guard and what may well be his suicide letter.

“How did it come to his?” He whispers in a thick voice. Mito says nothing, only moving to hug him from behind. How could he and Tobirama have grown so far apart? They were so close as children, always protecting and helping each other. It was only thanks to Tobirama that Hashirama had been able to master his Mokuton. Tobirama had always had his back, had always been the person he could rely on for anything and everything. When did he stop appreciating that? When did he start seeing his brother’s aid as his due instead of the gift it was? When did he start taking Tobirama for granted? When was the last time he’d taken time to just stop and talk to his brother? Would he ever get the chance to again?

No! No, he had to believe he would. He had to believe that his brother was alive, that his Tobirama was out there somewhere and that he would get his sibling back. A rush of determination surges through his pushing away the despair and the guilt. He WOULD get Tobirama back, and when he did, he would never take his brother for granted again, he swore it! Feeling more centered now that he had a plan of action Hashirama turns to face Mito who seems to read his intentions on his face.

“Go, help Touka and see if you can find him. I’ll hold things down here in the meantime” Mito murmurs as she releases him to prepare for the day. Hashirama takes a single moment more together himself together before getting up and going to find Touka in Tobirama’s room. The two tear it apart (and oh Tobi would be so angry with them for moving his things once he got back) but are unable to fins anything that could point them in the direction Tobirama may have gone. They’re both feeling rather disappointed by the end of it and Hashirama finds himself sitting on the bed tracing the Senju symbol engraved on his brother’s happuri. Which, come to think of it, whey did Tobirama leave that behind? Hashirama understood why his brother would have left the Raijin no Ken behind, it was rather distinctive after all, but even Tobirama’s back up sword had been left. Hashirama hardly kept track of every single weapon his brother owned, but the amount left behind seemed unusually large, especially since Tobirama had described the mission as being very dangerous. Even if it was an undercover mission the choice made no sense. Not to mention how vague the note had been. Tobirama normally filled out very detailed and specific reports before and after a mission but no such paperwork was to be found. Both Hashirama and Touka agreed that something felt very off about the whole situation, but they couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Well, that was not completely true. There was a suspicion beginning to build in the back of both their minds, but they refused to acknowledge it. Hashirama couldn’t believe that his brother had run off just to die-he wouldn’t. Maybe they hadn’t been as close as they should have been lately but surely, he hadn’t pushed his brother away that much…had he? And yet there was no sign of Tobirama anywhere, and as much as he wanted to run off with Touka and search for him they couldn’t leave the clan so undefended, especially since they had no idea where to even start looking. That did not mean he would be giving up on his brother, but there wasn’t much he could do at the moment aside from ordering all clan members to keep their eyes and ears open when outside the compound. Touka was pissed about his decision, but she’d had to acknowledge his points. Still. He refused to believe or label his brother dead without a body as proof. Even as most of the clan mourned and seemed to move on he clung to the kernel of hope the lack of proof allowed him.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, so I got like half of the original chapter eleven written went back, re-read it, hated it, and started over from scratch. I like this one much better. Don't expect all chapters to be this long. It's almost 1,000 words over what I usually aim for O_O  
> On the bright side, these goofs finally decided to co-operate and move things along. Anytime they are talking takes place approximately a month after Tobirama was first caught btw, in case that's not clear. Also fun fact time: so I handwrite the chapters first and I have a notebook I use for this. Before I started this fanfic it was not even 1/3 full. Everything after that point is related to this fic and I now have like 2 or 3 pages left. I'm hoping that next chapter will be the confrontation between the Senju and Uchiha-get hyped guys we're almost there. In the meantime by popular request enjoy a glimpse of mini!Kagami.

Madara was quite pleased with the way things were going. Tobirama was really not. As Madara had said when he gave him the cuff the Uchiha had yet to leave him alone even though he had finally been permitted out of the clan head’s room-something Madara had seemed really reluctant to allow even knowing that he’d be watched and was unable to leave the compound. To the surprise of no one, the first thing Tobirama had done with his freedom was to test if the cuff worked as Madara said it would. He knew that Izuna was watching and he would not get far but knowing could still be useful. Turned out the cuff worked exactly as Madara had said it would, much to the amusement of the younger Uchiha. Seeing Tobirama freeze so suddenly unable to even scowl at his predicament had sent his rival into peals of laughter which hadn’t stopped until well after Madara, alerted by the cuff, had come to drag the albino back into the accepted perimeter. It was an experience Tobirama vowed to never repeat.

Also, the Uchiha couldn’t seem to stop touching him, and they seemed to take every excuse they could to do so. Hikaku was continuously giving him side hugs and, if they were alone, had taken to playing with his hair. Izuna, who Tobirama had thought he could count on to always hate him, had taken to tackle hugging him whenever they saw each other. This had resulted in Tobirama punching, kicking, and pushing him into walls many many times since he’d arrived. This didn’t seem to be doing anything to deter the other. And Madara…against all Tobirama’s expectations Madara was actually the worst of them all. He kept _cuddling_ him! Every time they were in the same room the elder was hugging him, or pulling him unto his lap, or nuzzling into his hair. It was weird, and uncomfortable, and…Tobirama had never felt better in his life.

For the first time he could remember Tobirama was actually being treated like a submissive, except without all the condemnation he’d imagined if the Senju had ever found out the truth. Hikaku, Izuna, and Madara didn’t see him as any less capable and they managed to care for him without him feeling like a burden. And the rest of the Uchiha clan seemed perfectly content to treat him the same way, and even to keep his secret from any and all outsiders. Tobirama was sure they had their own reasons for it, but he was grateful, nonetheless. Oh, they’d been wary of him at first but as the days went on and turned to weeks and he didn’t make any threatening moves or cruel comments they’d warmed up to him. These days most of the clan treated him as if he had grown up there, as if he were just another member of their clan and not one of their ancient enemies with an untold number of their clansmens’ lives on his conscious.

In fact, the more used to him they got the more they seemed to join in Madara’s quest to…rehabilitate him? In truth he wasn’t entirely sure what the Uchiha clan head was trying to do, but it seemed to involve shoving food at him whenever he could. Which is not to say Tobirama ate it all, but he was noticing that his appetite was slowly becoming more regular. It probably helped that Izuna had gotten into the habit of bodily hauling him out of wherever, usually the library, over his shoulder at meal times. Madara did nothing to stop his younger brother as he rather approved of the strategy. Their job got even easier about two weeks after they had captured Tobirama when the brothers discovered a secret weapon that could make the albino do almost anything. Said weapon went by the name Kagami.

Something few knew about Tobirama was that he had a rather huge soft spot for children. He was completely unsurprised to find that this extended to Uchiha children. He’d met the young boy while walking through the marketplace with Hikaku. Kagami had been looking backwards, assuring his exasperated mother that he would be careful only to run right into Tobirama’s legs. He’d fallen back in to the dirt and had starred up at Tobirama. Everyone around them had frozen. Sure, they were fairly used to having the albino around, but no one was sure how he would react to this. Hikaku had tensed, ready to intervein and stop Tobirama if he had to.

Tobirama, however; simply smiled kindly down at wide black eyes and bent down to help the child to his feet. He then brushed the boy off with a murmured reminder to watch where he was going before he continued on his way, Hikaku hurrying after him. The albino didn’t know it at the time but not only had that moment cemented his acceptance in to the Uchiha clan it had also ignited a sense of awe and curiosity in the young boy. Kagami had, much to his mother’s frustration, decided he wanted to learn all about this new cool adult with eyes the colour of the sharingan. This led to him following Tobirama around whenever he could, climbing unto the albino’s lap, and chattering at him about everything and anything under the sun.

After a few days of watching the two closely the adults around them felt confident that Tobirama wouldn’t do anything that could harm Kagami and let them be. The albino bore with the boy’s attention patiently. He never snapped, and in fact never seemed to show any signs of loosing his patience much to the amazement of even Kagami’s own mother at times. He allowed the child to climb all over him and listened to his prattle with nods and even pointed questions at times. Izuna, Hikaku, and Madara all watched incredulously as the most stoic man they’d ever met let a little Uchiha run roughshod over him. After a few days the shock gave way to amusement and cuteness overload.

After seeing Kagami get Tobirama to leave his books behind with nothing more than a pout the elder Uchihas decided to harness his powers for good. Or, what they considered good-which to be fair it was to help the albino. Once Madara explained to the child that they needed him to help Tobirama because he often “forgot” to eat meals or to take breaks Kagami was happy to do as his clan head asked. The kid was a trump card which had yet to fail when they used it on the albino. Without fail, whenever Kagami stared earnestly up at him Tobirama would cave and find himself eating meals when they were supposed to be eaten or spending a bit of extra time outside. This meant Izuna had to haul the albino around a lot less often-which the Uchiha would never admit he was slightly disappointed about. He’d found he rather enjoyed manhandling his rival and seeing the other’s reactions to it. Madara continued to despair for his brother’s survival instincts.

Madara, for his part, was having a grand old time watching as slowly but surely Tobirama opened up to them and showed them his true personality. As the albino got steadily healthier, he also got steadily snarkier. Madara was also finding him to be just as scarily intelligent as rumour would suggest. He devoured books at an unbelievable speed and was always experimenting-even without his chakra. Once allowed he dedicated hours to working to his taijutsu, with supervision to make sure he didn’t open his wound, and to trying to figure out the cuff that was trapping him. Madara wasn’t too worried about that one because even in the clan head exclusive records there was no mention of how the thing worked, just how to use it and what it did. He doubted even Tobirama would be able to find anything that would allow him to escape it.

Tobirama was also the worst patient Madara had ever met, and he was related to Izuna! Every time the Uchiha head tried to clean and change the dressing on his wound the albino would start protesting about how it was fine or how he didn’t need any help and could do it himself. Madara paid no attention to these protests since the other had already proven that he couldn’t be trusted to take care of himself. Take care of others, certainly. But himself? Nope. Tobirama had finally stopped fighting him on it after he’d threatened to have Izuna and Hikaku pin him to the bed. He knew Madara would follow through on that threat and at that point just giving in seemed the easier and less embarrassing option.

Finally, about a month after the fateful battle which let to his capture Madara declared his wound healed enough to not need any further treatment. Personally, Tobirama thought it had healed to that point over a week ago, but the past month had taught him how much of a worrywart the Uchiha clan head could be. Izuna, who was still banned from certain exercises and missions beyond watching him, assured him that the elder Uchiha had always been like that. As with many aspects of his life here Tobirama found this constant worry odd…but nice.

Hashirama cared about him and fretted when he was sick or injured of course. However, his brother’s version of care was wailing over his sick bed until Tobirama kicked him out. Once Tobirama was up and moving around again Hashirama always seemed to forget that anything had even happened. Not that that was a bad thing! His brother was busy and had many sick and injured people to help as well as other duties, and he trusted Tobirama to take care of himself. That was all. The albino firmly ignored the small part of him whispering that Madara had those same responsibilities and yet he still took the time to check up on him regularly. That part of him only seemed to grow louder the longer he spent around the Uchiha.

The Uchiha clan never ceased to baffle and amaze him in equal measure. They were not the raging, angry, red-eyed monsters Tobirama had been taught they were. They were people just like anyone else. Loving, caring, opinionated, stubborn, at times cold and distrusting but unbelievably warm to those they saw as theirs. And, Tobirama was not sure how or when it had happened, but the clan as a whole definitely saw him as one of theirs. It was disconcerting. These people who he had been taught to hate and raised to kill treated him with more warmth and regard than most of his birth clan did. He got smiles and cordial nods when passing people in the street. Strangers stopped him to ask after Madara, or Izuna, or Hikaku-or even to ask how he was doing! Grannies in the market gave him free handouts because they claimed he was still far too skinny, and what had Madara been feeding him? He didn’t understand how they could treat him so kindly. He’d killed friends, lovers, family of most of these people-had almost killed their clan heir even! And yet instead of demanding he be thrown in chains or petitioning Madara for his head they treated him like he’d been born to them. The bitter part of him he’d always tried to ignore questioned louder and louder how his enemies could treat him with more care than anyone, other than Touka and maybe Mito, showed him back home.

He’d mentioned his bewilderment at the situation to Madara the night after the other had finally cleared his wound. Hearing about how his clan was acting had caused the raven-haired man to puff up like a peacock. He’d then proceeded to nuzzle Tobirama like a pleased cat before answering.

“It only makes sense. You’re one of ours now” Madara had said simply. Tobirama sighed because that hadn’t explained anything (he knew they acted like he was, but he was still a Senju), but he doubted questioning it would lead to any clearer answers. Taking the albino’s silence as agreement, or at least as the end of the conversation for the night Madara pulled him closer and tucked him into his chest. Tobirama didn’t try to fight. He knew from previous experience that it would do no good and would only serve to make the elder pout at him. The albino did not think it at all fair that a grown man could have such a persuasive pout. Hashirama’s had never done anything but annoy him and yet a hint of the expression on Madara and he caved almost immediately.

If Tobirama were to be honest he rather liked the cuddling himself, so he never tried to fight it that much. It made something deep inside him settle and left him feeling surer and more centered than he had since Hashirama had first met Madara. He was actually dreading the day this stopped, because of course Madara only kept him this close so he could keep an eye on him and someday, likely fairly soon, they wouldn’t feel the need to keep such a close watch on him.

Tobirama was self-aware enough to know why these thoughts caused him so much pain. It wasn’t just that he’d be losing the caring touch, it was that he’d be losing it from Madara in particular. The Uchiha was nothing like he’d imagined him to be. He was a good man, honourable and caring, who truly did want to do all he could for his clan. Though he could appear gruff and grumpy his heart was huge. He always made time for members of his clan-especially his brother. He knew them all by name, knew who they were and genuinely cared about what they thought and how they were doing, civilian or shinobi. Madara was constant and steady without being overbearing and he’d become such a central part of Tobirama’s life in such a short time that he couldn’t imagine living without the other. He wasn’t certain that certain things, like sleeping, would be possible for him without Madara around anymore.

Luckily for Tobirama, Madara had no plans to let the albino leave his bed, let alone his life, anytime soon. The more time he spent around Tobirama-the more he got to know the actual man the more attached he became to him. He was sarcastic with a dry wit Madara found terribly amusing. If anything, he was even smarter than Madara had heard he was. He was also disciplined, dedicated, and determined. He loved to learn and hated being unable to solve a problem or mystery. He also loved to pass on what he learned. After Kagami had broken the ice the man had managed to attract a veritable horde of children who followed him around. He would patiently answer their questions, or correct their forms, or even just read aloud to the lot of them. Something about seeing the white-haired man buried under happy Uchiha children always made Madara’s heart skip a beat.

In fact, a lot of things about the former Senju had his heart beating erratically. How adorably sleep mussed he always looked first thing in the morning. The cute way he would wrinkle his nose ever so slightly when something offended his sensibilities. How excited he got when he solved whatever problem he was working on. How absent minded he could get when he was reading. The way he nuzzled into Madara’s chest when he was asleep, hands always gripping his shirt tightly as though he was afraid Madara was going to disappear on him.

Madara had tried to deny things at first. He’d told himself that he just felt sorry for the younger man. That it was just his instincts as a dom reacting to a sub in clear need. That he was just doing his duty as the clan head. That, no matter what Izuna said, he was checking on the other’s health not checking him or “staring like a love-sick maiden”. (Now that he thinks about it, Izuna us due a reunion with the koi pond.) However, all his excuses and denials had failed him.

He’d been taking an afternoon break and had decided to check on the albino. He’d arrived just in time to see Kagami run proudly up to Tobirama to show him something which was hidden from Madara’s sight by the boy’s cupped hands. Tobirama had bent down to examine whatever it was the child had. He’d then smiled blindingly and had ruffled Kagami’s hair, clearly praising the boy. One glimpse of that smile on the other’s handsome face and Madara was done for. He’d turned completely red as his heart started to beat double-time. He’d hurried away before anyone could spot him, but all he could think about for the rest of the afternoon was what he could do to get that smile directed at him. After that he’d been forced to admit the truth to himself. He’d fallen hard for the other man and he didn’t want to ever let him go. However, he had no idea how Tobirama felt or even how to broach the subject to him.

“Mhm, stop thinking” the object of his thoughts pipes up from beside him. “I can sense you doing it and it’s keeping me awake in case I need to put the fire out when your brain starts to fry” Tobirama adds with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Ha ha. Hilarious” Madara deadpans. “I’ll have you know I do quite a lot of things that require thinking” he says haughtily.

“Getting dressed is not that hard” the other shoots back.

“Neither is remembering to ear, and yet you always need help with that” the Uchiha responds. Tobirama chuckles causing Madara to tingle all the way down to his toes.

“Touché” the albino says with a rueful smile. “Seriously though, you looked like you were really concentrating on something. Is everything alright?” he asks with genuine concern. He’d grown to truly care for many of the Uchiha in the past month, especially Madara, Izuna, and Hikaku, and he found himself wanted to eliminate anything that could cause them distress. He’d always been a protector at heart, and he hated seeing anyone he cared for hurt-emotionally or physically. This concern was shinning in his red eyes and Madara feels his own face soften at the sight. Unthinking he reaches over to trace one of the red lines inked onto the albino’s cheeks.

“Everything’s fine. Just a personal dilemma I’m not sure how to approach or deal with” Madara answers honestly.

“I’ve always found confronting things directly to be the best approach” Tobirama offers. Madara’s lips quirk and he uses his whole hand to cup the other’s face, feeling his heart jump when instead of pulling away Tobirama nuzzles into it. Slowly he leans forward until their faces are only an inch apart, Tobirama’s breath hitches and a charming blush highlights the area around his tattoos.

“In that case, may I kiss you Tobirama?” The Uchiha asks softly with all his courage. Instead of answering the albino leans forward until their lips meet. It’s chaste, and sweet, and over far too soon but Madara hardly cares because Tobirama had just kissed him! He feels giddy, as though his blood had been replaced with champagne happily bubbling through him. He’s distantly aware that he’s grinning like a fool but can’t bring himself to care let alone stop when Tobirama is looking at him with a small pleased and almost shy smile. Madara doesn’t think that the moment could get any better, but as usual Tobirama proves him wrong.

“We should do that again” the sub whispers while ducking his head down as his face flushes even further.

“As often as you want” Madara promises, lifting the albino’s face up so he can press their lips together again. They continue to trade kisses for an unknown amount of time, both happy to keep the moment chaste and not press for more. Eventually Tobirama lets out a small yawn and Madara declares they should sleep. Heart impossibly warm he lays them down and presses one last kiss to the top of white hair as he drifts off to sleep with the comforting weight of the other on his chest.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this one also ran away on me but at least plot is now flowing. We're getting close to the end here guys, probably only a couple more chapters (if I didn't just jynx myself that is lol). So, any guesses on how Hashirama gets a clue? If you have/had them please comment them!

He’d known it would happen. It was a miracle that it had taken as long as it did, but that did nothing to lessen the sour taste in his mouth as the scout reports that a group of Senju have engaged one of their border patrols in combat. Heart heavy he tells the messenger to go spread the news and to gather those able to fight to meet by the gates. They will march as soon as possible. Though everything in him rebels against the idea of leaving his Tobirama while the other cannot use chakra he knows it is his duty to go and that he needs to be there to protect as many of his clansmen as possible. Even as his heart sinks, he pulls on his armour, pins his sword to his side, and grabs his signature battle-fan. He then makes his way as quickly as possible to find Tobirama and Izuna. They are in the library and both look up at his entrance. Distress then flashes clearly through both their eyes as they take in the sight of him prepared for battle. Neither are stupid so he knows that they have guessed immediately who he is likely about to go face. Madara wishes he could tell them it was not true, but he cannot lie to either of them.

“Skirmish with the Senju” he says briskly instead. He forces himself to ignore all his instincts when his sub’s face drops. He had made Tobirama sad, he needed to go over there and comfort him! Maybe curl up with the albino and kiss the sadness awa-no! Now was not the time. ‘Later’ he promises his instincts. ‘When I return, and he is safe’. The thought of needing to protect the other allows him to push his other impulses back.

“I need to go. Izuna, you’re staying here” he holds a hand up when his little brother starts to protest. “I need someone here to watch and protect Tobirama and you were almost fatally injured just a few weeks ago” he adds.

“Fine” his brother grumbles. He is clearly unhappy, but Madara can tell that he will obey. Afterall, Tobirama has also become someone precious to Izuna during the past few weeks.

“I can take care of myself!” Tobirama snaps, annoyed at being thought less than competent.

“I know you can” Madara smooths, moving closer so he can run a hand though the other’s white hair. “But you’re at a disadvantage with the cuff” he nearly whispers, allowing Tobirama to see the honest concern in his eyes. The albino huffs but makes no further protests, though before Madara can walk away he pulls his face down to press a heartfelt kiss to his lips.

“You better come back Uchiha” Tobirama murmurs after looking as adorably flustered as he always does when having to express emotions. And, as it always does, Madara’s heart lights up at the proof that the other man cares for him.

“Knowing you’re here waiting for me, how could I not?” He breaths ignoring the fake gagging coming from his brother. Tobirama’s smile quivers slightly, but his eyes show only trust in Madara’s words as he gives his hand one last squeeze. Stepping back Madara ruffles his brother’s hair and accepts his quiet ‘be safe Aniki’ before leaving for the gates. He has a duty to do and he intends to make sure he makes it back. How could he not with such incentive waiting for him at home? ‘Besides’ he thinks with a downright bloodthirsty smirk, ‘this will give me the perfect opportunity to kick Hashirama’s ass without it seeming suspicious’. In all honesty he was really looking forward to that part. It is wit these thoughts in mind that Madara leads his people to yet another battle with their ancient enemies.

* * *

 

With the Senju

Hashirama marches his forces onward with even less enthusiasm than usual, which given how much he normally hated these clashes was saying something. It felt wrong, wrong, _wrong_! Instead of Tobirama, Touka stood at his side. He knew she was beyond capable and he trusted her completely….and yet every glimpse if brown hair out of the corner of his eye felt like a blow to his heart. His brother should be there! His stubborn, determined, oh so strong little brother who always set his path so unerringly. The last little brother he had. The little brother his clan treated as forever lost…Hashirama shook himself forcefully out of such thoughts. If he were here Tobirama would be scolding him so sternly for not being completely focused on the up coming battle. Before he’d thought his brother a horrible nag. Now he wondered…had his brother feared and dreaded his death as much as Hashirama dreaded any confirmation of his? The thought made his heart sting as he remembered all the times he had irritably brushed aside his brother’s concern.

He was forcefully pulled from his musings when he stepped into the clearing and immediately found a large ball of flame heading directly for his face. Yelping, years of shinobi reflexes had him throwing up a wooden shield and jumping away. He was followed by an irate Uchiha Madara with viciously spinning sharingan eyes trained on him and a bloodthirsty snarl on his lips. It was at that moment that the brunette remembered something that his worry for Tobirama had pushed aside. ‘Oh fuck’ the Senju thought as a cold sweat broke out along his neck, ‘Izuna!’ Izuna who his brother had given a deadly injury to right before he’d disappeared. Izuna, who a quick scan told him was nowhere on the field. “Shit” he mutters under his breath while dodging fireball after fireball. This was so, so bad and he honestly had no idea how to even start fixing it.

“HASHIRAMA” Madara bellows, anger making everything but the urge to punch the idiot’s face in disappear. “Stay still and let me kill you” he shrieks as Hashirama just keeps dodging his fireballs. The idiot just gave a nervous giggle at the request.

“Now Madara” Hashirama begins, hoping to placate, but his old friend was apparently having none of it today.

“No Hashirama, you will not be talking your way out of his one! Your stupid pale brother..!!!!” Madara is too consumed by rage to finish his sentence. How could this man have reduced Tobirama, strong, smart, beautiful Tobirama who loves children but doesn’t know how to react to genuine affection, HIS Tobirama to the shell he was just a few weeks ago. There is nothing the other could say that would make any of that okay. Unfortunately, it seems the stupid Senju didn’t understand that fact.

“Madara, wait, Tobirama he’s…Eek!” Hashirama shrieked and stumbled away from the fan that had nearly decapitated him. “Izuna was-” he tries a second time only to get cut off by another swing of the Uchiha gunbai.

“What does Izuna have to do with this?” Madara barks, still glaring at Hashirama, who is starting to look distinctly confused. There is a still silence for a minute as they both just stare at each other. The Senju is very clearly confused at the turn the conversation has taken while the Uchiha is resisting the urge to smack himself. In his rage he had totally, utterly, forgotten that the Senju head had absolutely no clue where his brother had gone, what his brother had done, nor what that had meant for _his_ brother. He’d almost blown the secret he’d been forcing his whole clan to keep himself! ‘No one’ he vows silently, ‘is ever finding out about this’. Desperately Madara searches for a way to salvage the situation. With no inspiration particularly forthcoming he decides to do what he usually does and loudly bluster his way though.

“Don’t go trying to blame my brother for what yours did!” He yells point a finger at Hashirama for extra effect.

“Bu-but he” Hashirama tries while still feeling rather wrongfooted.   

“You don’t get to talk about him” Madara bellows. He’s honestly not sure if he means Izuna or Tobirama (probably both honestly), but he means what he said. The way Hashirama flinches back at his words is a victory Madara savours. He presses in, starting to throw weapons at the constantly evading Senju who is…still not attacking him.

“Fight me you coward” he screams with renewed anger. Once again lost in a haze of red he doesn’t notice that the kunai he flings feels odd, different, wrong, until it is far too late. Instincts telling him that this weapon is somehow different from the others the Uchiha had been tossing, Hashirama catches it. It takes him only a moment to spot the seal painstakingly carved into the hilt. His eyebrows furrow. The Uchiha almost never use seals, that’s always been more of an Uzumaki thing with the occasional Senju like his brother learning it from them. Plus, this particular seal feels…familiar. The brunette traces the seal for but a moment before his eyes widen, his face pales, and he stares up at Madara in shock. Madara, confused about the change in his opponent’s demeanor follows Hashirama’s eyes down to the kunai only to bite back string of curses. It seems he’d forgotten something important for the second time that day. The two kunai he’d taken off Tobirama that first night had completely slipped his mind. To be fair a lot had happened since that night, like caring for Izuna, trying to get answers from Tobirama, finding out Tobirama’s secret, taking care of Tobirama, getting into a relationship with Tobirama…who could blame him for forgetting about a couple of dumb kunai?! Maybe if he was lucky Hashirama wouldn’t recognize…nope, too late. The other had already realized what he was holding.

“Madara” Hashirama says slowly as his eyes started to narrow, “how did you get one of Tobirama’s kunai?” He demands sternly.

“Crazy bastard leaves them scattered around, someone probably just scavenged one without realizing and it ended up in the weapon supply” Madara sneers. He’s rather proud of himself for thinking up such a reasonable excuse so quickly. Unfortunately, Hashirama looks less than impressed by his claim.

“No…he doesn’t. Tobi has only made a handful of these and he always makes sure to grab as many as he can after fights” Hashirama counters as Madara silently curses his boyfriend’s diligence. It’s normally a trait he admires in the other, but he’s finding it rather irritating at the moment. Hashirama’s unwavering gaze catches Madara’s subtle shifts and the quick flash of panic in his red eyes.

“Madara” the Senju says again, suddenly serious and appearing far more like the god of shinobi he’d been named, “where is my brother?” Roots begin to shift under his threateningly and Madara eyes them with appropriate wariness.

“He’s somewhere safe” a new voice adds from somewhere behind Madara. Out of the corner of his eye he spots a really pissed looking Hikaku approaching. A shiver of dread creeps down his back. Hikaku is normally one of the calmest members of his clan, but when he gets angry, well…Kami help whoever may have caused it.

“Safer than he was with you at least” the brown-haired Uchiha adds as he comes to a stop next to his clan head. The plants around Hashirama freeze as the man himself blinks in confusion at the very angry Uchiha he doesn’t recognize who sees to be trying to kill him with his eyes-thankfully not yet literally.

“Whaaa?” The Senju asks. Madara smirks at the other’s confusion.

“Are you hard of hearing now Senju? I believe he was perfectly clear” Madara taunts.

“No, but I” Hashirama begins only to get cut off.

“Then you know all you need to” Hikaku tells him firmly. Evidently the younger Uchiha had taken Tobirama’s condition about as well as Madara and Izuna had, in other words _very badly_.

Deciding that Hikaku was correct and Hashirama had indeed learned all he needed to Madara signaled for his clan to retreat. Summoning a large amount of his chakra Madara creates a huge fire wall behind them to at least temporarily stop the Senju from following as his clansmen disperse into the trees. He’s exhausted by the time they get back to the compound, but still pleased by the results of the skirmish. They’d had no casualties and most of the injuries he sees are relatively minor. The most concerning thing is the way Hikaku is still shaking next to him. Placing his hand on the younger’s shoulder Madara guide him towards the clan head’s house. He gets them both stripped of their armour and settles Hikaku at the table with some tea before trying to get the other to talk.

“You okay?” He asks softly.

“No. The way he talked about Tobirama…how dare he? How dare he act as though he was worried, as though he cares about him when they were killing him? Dooming him the worst of deaths!” Hikaku asks angrily, bitterly. Madara is not surprised that this is what had upset him. Truly it bothers him just as much.

“He doesn’t know” Madara reminds his cousin. “It’s not truly an excuse because he should have known, should have been able to tell, to see, but he didn’t. In his view his perfectly healthy, dominant brother just suddenly disappeared, and we had a clue to where he is, of course he was concerned” he finishes. Hikaku sighs and seems to just deflate at that. Madara scoots over so he can guide the brunette’s head to lay on his shoulder. They stay like that in silence for a few moments before he hears the front door open once more.

“Aniki? We heard that the war band had returned, everything alright?” Izuna calls as he and Tobirama appear in the hall. “Hikaku!” He exclaims when he spots them; rushing over to his cousin’s pother side worry plain on his face. Tobirama follows more slowly though he looks just as worried as Izuna.

“I’m alright, no injuries” Hikaku tries to reassure them, clearly touched at their concern. Izuna ignores him and continues patting him down under Tobirama’s eagle eyes until they’re satisfied that this is the truth. Once he’s done with this check, Izuna cuddles into Hikaku’s side. Tobirama surprises them all by following the Uchiha heir’s lead and sitting down behind Hikaku so he can gently run careful fingers through brown hair, likely inspired by Hikaku’s love of playing with his. The four of them remain like this as evening falls until Hikaku seems to come back to himself.

“Thanks” the brunette whispers to them. Madara gives his shoulder one last squeeze as he strands while Tobirama gives a stand of hair a small, playful tug pared with a kind smile.

“Always” Izuna says sincerely. It was touching and seeing his three most precious people getting along made Madara feel so light he could fly. He hates to disturb the atmosphere, but Tobirama and Izuna deserved to know what had happened and they needed to figure out what to do now.

“Something happened during the battle” Madara starts after he has made more tea for all of them. He sits and then draws Tobirama in to his lap. The albino looks confused but doesn’t fight the movement. Instead he leans back into Madara’s hold. Izuna gives his brother his full attention, sensing that whatever he’s about to hear is important. Madara takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh before continuing. He recounts what had happened earlier that day. He tells them of the battle, how he’d accidentally used Tobirama’s kunai, (“I had wondered what happened to those” the albino muttered), how Hashirama had noticed, Hashirama’s reaction to this and Hikaku’s reaction to Hashirama’s reaction. The last part has Izuna looking incredibly proud and Tobirama looking incredibly touched. Then the rest of what Madara’s said registered and Tobirama’s expression switches to incredibly pained.

“If Hashirama thinks you have me or even have an idea of where I may be…” Tobirama trails off with a grimace. “He may very well already be on his way here”. Madara feels a sense of dread as he realizes that he cannot dispute this. It sounds like exactly the sort of thing his once friend would do, He can feel the beginnings of a headache stirring. Izuna though looks thoughtful.

“You know, we may have an opportunity here” he muses. Madara looks at him, silently asking his younger brother to explain what he means. “I agreed with keeping it secret we had Tobirama, but since that seems as good as out now this may be our best chance at actually getting that treaty with the Senju you’ve always wanted Aniki”. Madara gapes at his brother.

“But you’ve never agreed with my plans to make peace with the Senju!” The Uchiha clan head exclaims.

“Because I’ve always worried that they would turn around and betray it leading to the extermination of our clan. But now we have Tobirama as leverage to give us an advantage in negotiations and as insurance they won’t turn around and attack us again after” the younger explains. “No offence” he adds, directed towards his rival-come-friend.

“None taken, it is a valid point and I had similar concerns myself” Tobirama replies to Izuna’s relief. “Anija has never given up on his dream of making peace with you” he adds while Madara ignores the slight pang of guilt those words evoke. “I’m certain he would jump on any opportunity to do so” the albino finishes.

“But having a treaty would mean having to give them back Tobirama” Hikaku points out. “Are we really okay with returning him to those who have been slowly killing him?” He adds, the vicious flash of his eyes making it clear that he, at the very least, is not. Madara and Izuna both look pained because _they had not thought about that!_

“I also have concerns about the stories treatment of submissives by the Senju you have alluded to” Madara mentions, mainly directed towards Tobirama. He makes sure not to say ‘your clan’ because it no longer is. Tobirama makes a face, but he must admit that the Uchiha do have a point.

“Anija has also been wanting to change the rules around that, even without knowing about me. If you demand more equal treatment in the terms he will most likely accept and push it through the elders, by force even if he must” the albino says thoughtfully.

“That’s great, but it doesn’t help us figure out what to do around keeping you” Izuna says exasperated and trying to get back to what he sees as the more important issue.

“And don’t even try to say you can go back even temporarily to help with the treaty and making this work. I know you don’t really want to and we’re not going to let you anyways” Madara adds before Tobirama can open his annoying self-sacrificing little mouth like he knows the albino would. Izuna and Hikaku nod in agreement while the former Senju groans and mutters about overprotective Uchiha, which said Uchiha graciously ignore.

“How do you diplomatically say, ‘sorry he’s ours now’?” Hikaku wonders.

“Say he’s to stay here to ensure that the Senju keep to the treaty?” Izuna suggests. “We could allow Hashirama regular visits so he can see that Tobi is fine while we get to actually keep him” he adds with a mischievous grin.

“The elders would demand a hostage in return as assurance from the Uchiha” Tobirama points out. “And I refuse to force anyone to leave their home for my sake” he adds firmly. He will not do that to anyone in this clan he has come to love. Not to any of the people who had treated him as their own, who had given him a place to truly belong for the first time.

“I can think of two other ways” Hikaku begins hesitantly after a moment of silence. “But it will mean revealing at least one of your secrets” he adds apologetically to Tobirama. The ~~former~~ Senju gestures for him to continue. “We need to claim you as Uchiha irrevocably. If your brother agrees to better treatment of subs, we can use that while revealing your status to argue that you for the sake of your health you must remain with Madara who took you in order to save you” Hikaku says. “That’s option one. Option two is you and Madara reveal your relationship and get married, or at least engaged. Then it would only be proper for Tobirama to remain with the clan of his husband”. By the time Hikaku is finished presenting his ideas Izuna looks gleeful, Tobirama slightly pained but thoughtful and Madara is bright red.

“Engaged?! Married?! He-I-we we’ve only just started…I mean, he deserves, I” the Uchiha clan head sputters.

“Do you not want to marry Tobirama brother? He must be so broken hearted to hear so” Izuna teases his brother.

“No!” Madara shouts, clutching his albino to him as if afraid that Tobirama will disappear before he can explain if he doesn’t. “That’s not what I meant! I just think he deserves a proper courtship and to have time to make his choice, not to be forced into it for a treaty or to save his life” he explains. Tobirama smiles softly. He had a feeling Madara’s reasoning was something along those lines, but he is still touched by how much the other clearly cares for him.

“The new regulations around subs will take time to create and implement no matter how willing Anija is, and until they are finished you will have no legal precedent with the Senju for keeping me” Tobirama reasons. “Engagement would allow me to stay, to visit my family, and will give everyone an assurance that we do truly mean to make this peace work” he adds. He then turns so he can look Madara in the eyes. “We can have a long engagement and if either of us becomes unhappy we can break it. However, on my end at least, I doubt that will happen. I’ve never felt anything for anyone that could compare to what I feel for you” he nearly whispers as his face flushes. Madara stares down at him in amazement as he finishes.

“I’ll have you for however long you want me” the Uchiha says reverently. “So, will you marry me love?” He asks teasingly, raising the albino’s hand so he can kiss where his ring ~~would~~ will go.

“Yes” Tobirama breaths. He knows it is mostly for political reasons but hearing that question from Madara directed at him still fills him with an unbelievable amount of happiness. Judging from the grin the Uchiha is sporting Madara feels the same way. He can hear Hikaku and Izuna cheering and clapping in the background, and for a moment he allows himself to forget what is coming and indulges in celebrating with his found family that he is to marry his love. For a moment nothing else matters and everything is perfect. For a moment….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who remembered about the kunai? Hashirama finding out like that was actually one of the first scenes to pop into my head when I started with this story.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: BRIEF ALLUSION TO PEOPLE DEFILING CORPSES AND POSSIBLE NECROPHILIA! It's vague but it is there so it seems fair to put a warning in. To be clear nothing like that is actually going on, it's just a misunderstanding. With that said enjoy, not 100% sure how I feel about this one. Some parts I love, some I hate *shrug* let me know what you guys think <3

Unfortunately, a moment was all they were allowed as a harried and frightened looking messenger burst into the room almost immediately.

“Madara-sama, there is a Senju party approaching and according to reports it contains the Senju clan head himself” the young Uchiha blurted. Even though they had both been more than half expecting this Tobirama and Madara groaned together in clear exasperation.

“Anija you idiot” the albino mutters under his breath. He was both touched and irritated by his brother’s actions. It clearly proved he cared…and yet it was also the dumbest and most reckless thing Hashirama could have done. Judging by the looks on their faces the others felt pretty much the same.

“He actually came” Hikaku whispered faintly, seemingly having trouble processing this fact. Tobirama doesn’t blame him.

“How stupid is your brother?!” Is Izuna’s contribution. Tobirama wants to bristle at the implications but given the current situation he is forced to admit the Uchiha heir may have a point.

“How many others are with him?” Madara asks the scout.

“Only one that we could sense” is the response. “They are maybe ten minutes out and approaching fast” the teen adds nervously.

“Only two is not a wat party, even if it does include Hashirama” Madara reassures the young shinobi. “Tell the guards to double up and get to their posts. I’ll go meet Hashirama. Hikaku, you will be with me. Izuna, guard Tobirama. I don’t want him to get even the slightest sense that you two are here” Madara orders. He and Hikaku waste no time and quickly put their discarded armour back on. Once they are finished Madara gives the two still at the table a hard look. “Stay” he orders before storming out with Hikaku hot on his tail.

“Not a fucking dog Aniki” Izuna grumbles, glaring at the door his brother had just left through. He is surprised not to hear his rival agreeing with him. Turning to Tobirama he spots the twinkle in the other’s eyes and immediately perks up. “We’re not staying here” Izuna guesses gleefully.

“Of course we’re not” Tobirama scoffs. “They will be discussing things which effect us, especially me, rather directly. Besides Madara only really ordered us to keep Hashirama from getting any idea we’re here. So, we’ll make sure he doesn’t. With the cuff blocking me my chakra is all but non-existent to the senses. I trust you can supress yours well enough for this” he adds tauntingly.

“Of course I can” Izuna agrees with a sharp grin.

“Good, you know where the guards are posted. If we can get out and to a roof nearby, we should be able to watch and hear without attracting notice” Tobirama says as Izuna’s grin gets even wider.

“Follow me” he replies, leading Tobirama to the easiest place to climb onto the roofs. Thankfully the albino is able to manage it even without chakra and the two are able to slip into position quickly. Izuna tugs Tobirama behind an unusually large chimney angled perfectly to conceal them from the guards on the wall while still giving them a clear view of the gates.

“Great-aunt Sahoji used to live here. She was the biggest gossip. I always assumed she built this place specifically so she could spy on the gate” Izuna whispers to Tobirama while the albino holds in his snort. If Izuna’s great-aunt is anything like some of the older women in the Senju clan then he would not be surprised if this guess was indeed the truth. No more words are exchanged as they turn their attention to the action below them. Madara and Hikaku are standing just under the arch of the gate with double the usual amount of guards on the wall as Madara ordered.

Movement in the forest draws his attention moments before Hashirama appears with Touka trailing after him. Seeing the hurt and worry on his brother’s face and the fear in his cousin’s eyes makes guilt rise like bile up his throat. Or, it starts to before Izuna catches his eyes and grabs his hand. The reassurance from his friends stops the sick feeling it its tracks and gives the other a grateful smile.

“Senju, what are you doing here?” Madara demands at that moment. “This is Uchiha land and your trespassing here is a clear act of aggression. Tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you where you stand?!?!” Hikaku looks long suffering while the two in hiding exchange eye-rolls. Madara was _such_ a drama-queen. Hashirama for his part looks devastated.

“Whaaaa? But Madara I thought we were friends!” He exclaims looking like a kicked puppy. Touka’s eye twitches and Tobirama fights the urge to face-palm. Judging by Izuna’s silent snickering beside him his struggle was showing clearly on his face.

“We are _NOT_ friends you idiot! We’re enemies’…ENEMIES’! Our clans are at WAR!” Madara screeches. “Your brother just killed mine!” He adds, which…what? ‘No, I didn’t” Tobirama mouths at Izuna who gives him an incredulous look and points at where Tobirama had stabbed him. Right, that. With everything else that’d been happening he’d just about forgotten. ‘Besides I healed it anyways’ a petulant part of him adds. The guards also seem slightly taken aback by Madara’s words, a few shifting slightly. Thankfully they manage to keep their expressions neutral so Madara’s blatant lie goes unnoticed by the Senju. Hashirama’s face shifts to something much more serious.

“Where is my brother Madara? Don’t try to pretend ignorance. There is only one way you could have gotten that kunai. We have come to barter for his release, or” here Hashirama pauses, looking deeply pained, “or at least the return of his body”. Tobirama flinches. “Please Madara, no matter what hatred you bore him in life, if you ever considered us friends please return him to me” Hashirama pleads. There are real tears in his eyes now. “You were at least able to burry your brother with his family, please allow me to do the same for Tobirama” the brunette begs, his voice catching horribly on Tobirama’s name. Madara’s wince is a miniscule thing, but Tobirama still spots it. However, he can also see Madara’s determination to see whatever he’s planning here through.

“Why should we?” Madara demands. “What could the Senju offer the Uchiha to make giving that up worth it?” Which, Tobirama has to admit, is a rather valid question. Were the situation actually what his family is assuming there is very little that could match his value to the Uchiha-as a prisoner or as a trophy corpse they could try to pry his secrets from. As things actually stand, he suspects that Madara just doesn’t want to share him yet (if ever). Tobirama has noticed the Uchiha can be a bit possessive at times.

“What do you want for him?” Hashirama asks. “Money? Jutsu? There is very little I would not offer for his return” Hashirama responds. Most of the Uchiha, and indeed probably Tobirama himself, look shocked at the response. Money was expected, but to offer clan jutsu was unheard of. It was all but offering the Uchiha a battle advantage on a silver platter. Tobirama was horrified. Even if the Uchiha were holding him prisoner for the sole purpose of giving him the slowest, most painful and drawn out death they could he wouldn’t have desired rescue at such a price. Not when it could mean the deaths of his kin later on. Even Touka looked a little alarmed at the offer and Tobirama would bet money on her being willing to offer herself in his place.

“No.” Madara’s response is suspiciously calm and firm. It also causes the others to give him shocked glances. Tobirama is fairly sure everyone had expected him to at least play along with Hashirama’s offer. Though, it really was just like Madara to do the opposite of what everyone thought he would.

“No?” Hashirama repeats, looking rather wrong-footed. “Then what do you want Madara? Me?” Izuna’s had shoots out like lightening to grab Tobirama when this is said. Tobirama hadn’t even realised he was moving as if to jump down and snack his stupid older brother until he is stopped.

“NO!” Madara exclaims again, this time looking horrified. Tobirama has no idea why _he_ looks that way since he’s not part of the clan Hashirama is offering to abandon until he sees Izuna glancing between him and Madara and then Hashirama and Madara and shuddering. Then he has to use all his will power to stop from laughing at the idea of his brother and he exchanging exact places. Hikaku looks like he has no idea how to react to all of this. Tobirama sympathises. Madara and his brother are ridiculous on their own, together they are apparently exponentially worse.

“No” Madara says again, managing to keep his tone even this time. “I want exactly what I have, unfortunately for you” he adds, smirking. Tobirama wills himself not to blush at this proclamation-going by how amused Izuna seems he fails. However, these words also have the side-effect of setting Touka off.

“Listen here you dishonorable assholes, we’re trying to do this the nice way, but we will be getting my cousin’s body back even if I have to kill everyone of you personally to do it” she growls, baring her teeth in a blatant threat as her eyes flash in a way that promises death and pain. Beside him Izuna chokes on air. Concerned for his friends Tobirama turns to see his staring at Touka in awe, slight fear and arousal. That…that Tobirama was not expecting, though perhaps he should have since both subs and Uchihas seem to find strength a very attractive trait. Still, the way Touka’s statement has the guards all reaching for their weapons if the more pressing issue here.

“I doubt you are in a position to threaten such a thing” Madara replies dismissively, which, of course, only serves to enrage Touka even more.

“You” she all but hisses, starting to lunge for him only to be held back by Hashirama.

“Madara, please. What use do you have for my brother’s body? Let me place him beside our brothers as he should be” Hashirama begs again. Tobirama spots the gleam in Madara’s eyes and braces himself.

“I have many uses for your brother’s body Senju. In fact, I’ve found that I’ve grown rather fond of it lately” is Madara’s uppity response. Tobirama buries his head in his hands and gives up on everything. Next to him Izuna is gaping in horror.

“He didn’t” Izuna says in a strangled whisper.

“He did” Tobirama responds at the same volume. Down below Hikaku appears to also be despairing for reality, while the Uchiha guards all seem to be a mix of amused, disbelieving, and horrified. Touka’s even more pissed off while Hashirama has gone white and is swaying dangerously. Tobirama honestly fears he may faint. Madara, for his part, is having the time of his life. He’d forgotten how much fun it was to torment Hashirama. He’d have to tell them the truth soon of course, but he did feel the Senju deserved to suffer a bit first for what they’d done to Tobirama.

“Uchiha scum! Soulless fiend! How are you?! Killing him wasn’t enough for you, is that it?!?! You are the vilest, most dishonorable of men! You will rot in hell for this, and I only hope I get to be the one to send you there!” Touka screams, furious tears pouring down her cheeks. She sags in Hashirama’s hold, grief plain to see in every line of her body and if Madara does not end this farce soon Tobirama will because he cannot bare to see her in such pain. 

“So, you were lying then, when you said my brother was face. Or did you mean that his soul was safer now in the pure lands?” Hashirama asks, scarily clam. The question is directed at Hikaku, who glances at his clan head for direction. “Even if so, I do not see how he would be less safe at home” the brunette adds.

“Because, at least here he is not dying slowly inch by inch” Madara hisses.

“No! He’s already dead and at the hands of those who would disrespect and violate what’s left of him in the worst ways” Touka shoots back. Tobirama groans. This is going even worse then he’d imagined it would and he is very close to going down there and dealing with this himself. Judging by Izuna’s face the other would happily help him by this point.

“How dare you witch! I would never!” Madara bellows, before realizing that he would and had just minutes ago.

It’s at this point Hikaku utterly gives up, burying his face in his palms are repeating a mantra of “Why me?”

“But…Madara?” Hashirama doesn’t seem to know what to say and Touka looks too enraged to care at this point. Tobirama is just grateful Hashirama seems to have forced her to leave her naginata behind or he’s certain blood would have already been spilt. This has been an utter disaster from start to finish and Tobirama honestly just wants today and everything related to it to be over.

Madara seems to have come to a similar conclusion as he throws his arms up in the air with a grumpy “fuck it”. Then he raises his voice slightly. “I know you two are listening in from somewhere, so you may as well come out now” he calls. Izuna and Tobirama share a glance and a ‘why not’ shrug before emerging from hiding and jumping down to join the others on the ground. Hashirama somehow manages to look even more confused once he spots Tobirama while Touka looks like she can’t decide between being overjoyed or pissed.

“Heya Aniki” Izuna says happily trotting up to drape himself over Madara. “I see we have guests” he adds with a smirk. Tobirama himself stands carefully just on the inside of the gate. The last thing he wants right now is to be forced to deal with the stupid cuff paralysis along with everything else.

“Pests Izuna. We have pests, not guests” Madara corrects while forcing his brother off him. Tobirama snorts at the offended face both Hashirama and Izuna make at this. Izuna fake sniffles and then turns around to come lean on him instead.

“Tobiiiii, Aniki’s being mean to me” Izuna whines.

“I care why?” Tobirama asks. “Also, don’t call me that” he adds, though he doesn’t bother shaking the annoyance off. He’s learned Izuna will only bug him more if he does that.

“To-Tobirama?” Hashirama stutters out, glancing between his brother and the Uchiha. He’s beginning to wonder if he was still in this morning’s battle and Madara had trapped him in a genjutsu. He tries a kai, but everything stays the same and he can’t determine any irregular chakra fluctuations.

“Hello Anija” his brother whispers, looking uncharacteristically bashful for a moment. It’s then replaced by an irritated look he’s much more accustom to. “I appreciate you coming for me and all…but what were you thinking?! Entering the heart of enemy territory with only Touka for backup! Offering clan secrets and jutsu for my body! I don’t, have never, wanted others to die for me Hashirama! And offering yourself! The Senju _need_ you! You’re the only one who can lead the clan! If you were gone the elders would take control, it would be a disaster” Tobirama scolded. Hashirama winced slightly, his brother did have a point, but he wouldn’t back down on this.

“You’re my little brother Tobi, of course I would offer anything including myself to save you! And don’t pretend you wouldn’t do the same for me, we both know very well you would” he shoots back.

“I’m not clan head. I’m not in charge of our family, not responsible for their safety. I don’t have a wife waiting for me at home. You are far more needed than I am!” Tobirama says pointedly. He’s shaking he realises, when had that started? Madara moves back to gather him into his arms, running fingers through his hair and shooting his angriest glare and the Senju head.

“I don’t care!” The brunette yells back. “I don’t care. I already have to bury Kawarama and Itama, I can’t bury you too. Not when I could do something to prevent it. And having nothing to bury is even worse Tobi. I couldn’t live with myself knowing I could have gotten even a part of you back but didn’t!” Hashirama’s voice had gone soft by the end. Soft, serious, and pained. Tobirama winced guiltily, he understood after all…. but he couldn’t accept it.

“My life is not worth risking the clan over. I’m not worth it” he whispers with complete conviction only to yelp as Izuna hits him lightly over the head.

“Oy, no!” The Uchiha heir frowns. “We’ve talked about your stupid self-worth bullshit. You know it will not be tolerated” Izuna says firmly. Hashirama and Touka both look taken aback while Hikaku and Madara are nodding seriously. This is, of course, when the children make their appearance. Kagami is leading the charge, because of course he is, and is wielding a rather blunt training sword. The rest of the hoard have also somehow acquired a collection of old, blunt and rusty weaponry and are running straight for the gate.

“Charge!” Kagami orders. “We can’t let them take Tobirama-sensei away!” Tobirama is touched, but also annoyed because really? He easily scoops up Kagami as the boy tries to get passed and stops the rest of the children with a stern look. They all freeze as his eyebrow goes up, a sure sign that their sensei is _not_ amused.

“What” he asks calmly, “do you lot think you are doing?” None of them seem able to meet his eyes. “Kagami?” He looks down at the clear ringleader who breaks.

“The adults all said the Senju were coming to steal you away! We had to stop them! If they got you would go back to being really sad and tired and you would forget to eat!” Kagami exclaims earnestly while the rest of the kids not enthusiastically. Tobirama sighs, exasperated but also utterly fond.

“I will be fine. Madara, Izuna, Hikaku and the guards have it well in hand and you’d just be in their way right now. Go home all of you and you can check me over later” he promises with a roll of his eyes. The kids, especially Kagami, grumble but he manages to shoo them all away. When he turns back Touka looks utterly amused while his brother’s mouth is once again hanging open. The Uchiha, all of them, are snickering.

“Careful Aniki or that brat may just steal him from you” Izuna teases, poking at Madara who just growls and pulls Tobirama closer.

“Do you really need more minions?” Touka asks him. He gives her a look, because he’s told her many times that they are students not minions, and he will sic them on her if she keeps calling them that.

“I” Hashirama announces to the world at large, “am so confused. What is even going on?” The last part is said in a slight whine as he glances between his brother and the Uchiha.

“Um” responds Tobirama because he really has no idea how to explain everything to his brother. He automatically glances at Madara for help because the other’s been there every time he’s faltered since he was captured. He sees Hashirama and Touka follow his gaze with narrowed eyes.

“It’s a very long story” Madara begins, “but it starts with you being an idiot and your brother being too self-sacrificing for anyone’s good”. He tells Hashirama, which of course clears absolutely nothing up. ‘Typical’ Tobirama thinks, ‘just typical’.

“I’m not an idiot!” Hashirama protests immediately before visibly realizing that that is really not the point.

“You’re gonna have to explain it a bit more then that Uchiha” Touka drawls. She’s slightly less murderous by now, but Tobirama can tell she’s still on edge. Tobirama runs a hand through his hair. He cam feel a headache forming. He knows they need to do this, but he’s been lying to them for years. How is he supposed to tell them that? How is he supposed to tell them that he’d been dying right under their noses but had done nothing about it, content to slowly fade away? They need to know, but Tobirama doesn’t want to hurt them-has never wanted to hurt them. And they will be hurt, and shocked, angry, and upset. He knows, and he’s more scared of this then he has been of any battle. More scare of this than he had been of his own death! He half-turns in Madara’s arms, snuggling into his chest and breathing in the sent he’d come to associate with safety, with comfort, and with home. Madara runs a hand down his back with making shushing sounds.

“Tobirama?” Hashirama asks and he sounds so worried and so confused.

“You don’t have to do this” Madara murmurs to him and he feels a rush of warmth and affection run through him.

“Yes, I do” he whispers back and Madara squeezes him slightly. It’s both a reassurance and a promise that he will be there with Tobirama no matter what. He feels a hand squeeze his shoulder and looks into Izuna’s supportive gaze then follows it further to Hikaku’s encouraging smile. He takes a deep breath and gathers his courage. “Anija, there’s some things I need to tell you” he says solemnly.

 

 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I left it at a cliffhanger last time have another update :) I don't really like the chapter ending but I'm tired and I want to get this posted. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Tobirama does not want to do this. In fact, there are very few things he wants to do less than this at the moment. He has been avoiding doing this for over a decade and had come very _very_ close dying instead of doing this. Now, however, things had come to a head and he could avoid it no longer. That said he didn’t particularly feel like having this conversation out in the open-even if the Uchiha as a whole already knew about his secret and had accepted it and him. Thankfully, Madara seemed to sense his hesitance, wonderful partner that he was.

“Eugh, I suppose you two had best come inside for this” Madara grumbles, eyeing the two unwanted Senju with distaste. Hashirama didn’t hesitate, bounding easily inside as if he wasn’t entering an enemy stronghold. Tobirama despaired for his brother, truly he did. Touka looked a lot more hesitant but followed Hashirama all the same. Once they were both inside, Madara signaled for the guards to close the gates.

“We’ll go to the main house. This conversation may take some times” the Uchiha head adds. He leads the way, keeping an arm safely around Tobirama all the while. The albino is ridiculously thankful for that as it helps keep him grounded. Hashirama and Touka follow after them, still rather confused over what was going on while Izuna and Hikaku bring up the rear. The walk, paradoxically, seemed to take both no time at all and an eternity for Tobirama who was still nowhere near prepared for what was to come by the time, they had all gotten tea and found seats around the Uchiha’s table. Madara was on his left, Izuna on his right with Hikaku beside Izuna and then Touka and Hashirama finishing it off. Once they were settled, Tobirama took a deep breath, held it for only a moment and then let it out all at once realizing that he had absolutely no idea what to say. Well, he knew _what_ he had to say, he just didn’t know _how_ to say it.

“Tobirama?” Hashirama asks again, sounding just as confused and concerned as he had before, at the gates.

“There’s something I need to tell you” Tobirama starts, “actually, there are multiple things I need to tell you, but most relate to the one thing. I’m just not sure how, exactly, to tell you”. He’s uncharacteristically lost for words, which is visibly making Hashirama and Touka more and more worried.

“I thought you liked to confront things directly” Madara reminds him, using his own words, even as one arm wraps comfortingly around him again.

“Come on Tobi, it can’t be that bad” Hashirama urges him earnestly, which just makes him flinch slightly because yes, _yes_ it can be. His flinch and his lack of yelling about the nickname only serve to make his relatives even more worried.

“Okay brat,” Touka says, “time to just spit it out already. Did you feed clan secrets to the Uchiha? Lose your mind to the drugs they fed you? Committed treason? Are you dying of some new and incurable disease? Have you defected?” She demands. “Because the longer you take to answer the more elaborate and horrible scenarios I’m going to come up with” she adds and he knows her well enough to know this is the truth and that she will continue to share them all with everyone as they come.

“No” he’s quick to assure them, before catching himself. “Well…maybe a little?” He admits. “Not clan secrets, but they did get some more personal ones, ones I’m trying to share with you now actually. And they really did guess them first so all I did was confirm what they had already all but figured out. Still, maybe, sort of, to the defecting which is kind of treasonous but I’m still loyal to Hashirama, I swear I am, I’m just also kind of getting attached to the Uchiha too. I don’t want to, and never would hurt the Senju but I also really don’t want to do anything to hurt the Uchiha anymore either. Oh, and they didn’t feed me any drugs-well maybe pain killers early on but nothing like what you’re thinking of!” He’s rambling, he knows he’s rambling. It’s very unlike him, but right now he can’t help it. Hashirama and Touka seem taken aback by his rambling and exchange ‘has he cracked?” looks-which rude! Madara is trying to hide his amusement, but Tobirama can the little shakes he’s giving off from doing so. Izuna, on the other hand, isn’t even trying and is outright cackling while even Izuna is smirking slightly.

“Way to not actually answer the question” Izuna manages between snickers. Tobirama reaches out and pokes the other hard in the side, because the Uchiha is a little shit and is not helping. Then pulls his hand down his face because the shit did have a point.

“Does this have to do with that one was saying about you being safer here than you are at home?” Touka asks pointing at Hikaku because she is very perceptive and has an equally good memory.

“Yes, it does” Tobirama admits with a sigh.

“And what he said about you dying inch by inch?” She adds, pointing at Madara this time. Sometimes Tobirama hates her memory.

“Yes, and with that” he affirms sheepishly as Hashirama gasps dramatically. Tears are already starting to gather in his brown eyes.

“Tobi?” His brother asks, barely above a whisper and something in Tobirama just breaks. He can’t lie to his brother, not even by omission, proxy, or avoidance, not when he looks like that.

“I was fading” he admits quietly while keeping his eyes firmly on his teacup. “I had maybe a year left in me, probably less”. Touka gasps, but Hashirama still seems confused.

“But Tobi, that’s impossible. Only subs can fade” Hashirama points out sounding bemused. There’s a moment of total silence before Madara groans and Hikaku facepalms. Izuna studies the Senju clan head in disbelief and even Touka is sending him ‘really?’ looks. Tobirama just sighs again, he probably should have expected this. Before he can figure out how to explain to his brother in a way even Hashirama can understand Touka decides to step in.

“Since when have you known-no sorry, that’s a stupid question. Better one: why did you never say anything? We wouldn’t have cared you know” she says softly reaching out to grasp his hand. He raises his eyes only to be met her earnest, pained, and saddened ones. He winces ever so slightly because he has always hated causing Touka any pain.

“I know” he says softly because he did know that she at least wouldn’t have. “But I couldn’t risk it when father was still alive”. She winces at that and has to agree with him. Even if submissives were technically allowed to fight these days she wouldn’t have put it past Butsuma to hide Tobirama away or even find some way to remove him permanently to save himself the “shame” of having one for a son. “And then Hashirama was figuring out how to run the clan and I needed to be able to help him and after that, well, there just never seemed to be a good time between arranging his marriage to Mito, helping her settle in and of course trying to keep everyone alive…” Tobirama shrugged helplessly. “And then it had already gone on for so long and I was halfway to the grave and I didn’t want to worry any of you about something that couldn’t be changed” he finishes. Touka has an extremely pinched look on her face while Hashirama still looked lost.

“I don’t understand, what are you talking about? What couldn’t father find out about and what does it have to do with helping me lead? How could that be killing you?” The brunette asks earnestly, glancing between everyone at the table. They all seem to know something he doesn’t and it has to do with his little brother’s health so clearly, he also _needs_ to know. He’s not about to let Tobi die on his watch, especially not after thinking he’d lost him for so long only to find him alive. However, his questions are apparently enough to snap Madara’s patience.

“Oh my Kami, you’re brother’s a submissive you idiot!” The raven-haired man snaps at his former friend. “He always has been, always will be, and he was hiding it while slowly dying because you are apparently too blind to see what was literally right in front of your fucking face!” he growls angrily while hauling said submissive closer to him.

“Wait, what? No, Tobi’s dominant. He’s always acted dominant! Even more so than me!” Hashirama counters. It’s only because he’s staring at his brother that he sees Tobirama’s slight flinch at his words. “Aren’t you?” He asks almost desperately. He’s all but begging Tobirama to tell him he’s right, that the others have misunderstood the situation. Because the other option, the other option is too painful to consider. The idea that he’d overlooked his little brother to such an extent for so long…it hurts more than anything. He knows he doesn’t always give his little brother all the attention he deserves, knows that there’s been a rift between them since that day at the river, but not one this big! Not so much that he would miss the signs of his brother dying slowly while under the same roof as him! Not to the point that he didn’t even truly know his brother’s dynamic. It’s not possible, it’s not! Except that Tobirama is shaking his head and shrinking back into Madara’s side looking so guilty and ashamed, and Hashirama’s heart just shatters.

How could it have come to this? His little brother feeling safer with their enemies than he does with him. His little Tobi looking to Madara for comfort because he fears Hashirama’s reaction to finding out his dynamic. His brother, safer and healthier as a prisoner of war than he had been in his own home surrounded by family. His baby brother, his genius, caring little brother who’d been suffering and dying, but who was still more worried about helping him run the clan than with his own comfort. How like Tobirama to allow himself to suffer just to endure those he loved would be spared even the slightest bit of pain. He remembers being on the ground, a throbbing in his cheek and staring up at a small back poised to take _his_ punishment. How could he not have noticed? Certainly, his brother is good at hiding things, but even he slipped up sometimes. Especially when they were younger and he was just learning…Hashirama should have seen it. He’d failed his brother. His brother who still looked so hesitant and afraid of his reaction.

“Tobi” he whispers, so incredibly sad. “You could have told me, I would have helped you. Why didn’t you tell me? I’m your brother, of course I’d be on your side, of course I would have done anything, everything, to help you!” He exclaims, tears escaping to poor down his cheeks.

“It’s not your fault” his brother says quickly. “You were always so busy and I didn’t want to bother you with something so-” Tobirama gets cut off there by Madara’s hand.

“Shut up! It is very much your brother’s fault! He should have made time for you, should have given you at least enough attention to stop you from fading even without knowing your dynamic. Also, your dynamic, your life, and especially your health are all very important and deserving of attention” Madara growls irritably. He loved Tobirama very much, but really the albino was also the biggest idiot when it came to himself. He fully intended to beat, well more like love, the other into seeing his own importance. Hikaku and Izuna would back him up!

“I never thought I’d say this” Touka begins, “but the Uchiha is absolutely right and you should listen to him. Yes, you should have told us from the beginning, but clearly, we, especially plant-brain here, should have been paying more attention” she finishes fiercely. Madara appears to be re-evaluating her slightly, which Tobirama admits slight worry about, while Izuna is gazing at her as if she hung the moon. Hashirama, well honestly, he agrees with them both.

“They’re right Tobirama. You were dying and I didn’t even know! I could have woken one to find you gone with no idea how or why! That is not okay Tobi, it is the opposite of okay” he’s practically yelling by the end and is definitely crying in earnest now because he can imagine it all too well. Can imagine going in search of his brother one morning and finding him lying there all too still and cold on his bed. Thin, and pale, and without a pulse. Can see himself shaking his brother, begging for this not to be real. Can see himself using healing jutsu after healing jutsu until he was all but out of chakra trying to fix the unfixable. It’s his worst nightmares given flesh and it was so, so close to becoming reality. And-and he can’t just not give in to the urge to leap across the table and hug his brother tight. He has to reassure himself that Tobirama is actually here, safe, whole, warm, and blissfully alive in his arms. Cups and tea go flying and Madara flails at him from where he’s been pushed to the side. Hashirama doesn’t care. He just clutches his brother closer with no intentions of letting go anytime soon-if ever!

“I’m so sorry Tobi” he whispers to his brother. “I’m sorry I was blind and stupid. I’m sorry I didn’t give you the love and attention you deserved. I love you so much. Loosing you would be like loosing a part of myself. The last thing I’d ever want is for you to suffer, especially for my sake!” He tells Tobirama, and then he kisses his brother on top of his head like he used to when they were little and his brother freezes a little before just melting in to him. Seeing this reaction, Hashirama has no idea how his little brother managed to hide his dynamic since his response to even this little bit of affection is so inherently submissive. It’s also absolutely adorable and it takes all of Hashirama’s will power not to squeal at home cute his brother is.

“I love you too Anija” Tobirama whispers into his chest. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was just trying to help protect you” he murmurs. And Hashirama knows it wasn’t meant to be a guilt trop but his heart painfully. That’s so like is too serious younger sibling.

“Oh Tobirama” he sighs. “That’s supposed to be my job little brother” he reminds him. His sibling just shrugs. He hadn’t noticed until then, but Tobirama has tears in his eyes and a few are even escaping down his cheeks. His heart drops in guilt again because his little brother was crying, something he never did, and it was his fault! “shush” he whispers, rocking the albino ever so slightly. “It’ll be okay. Aniki knows now and he has you. I’ll fix it Tobi, I promise! You’ll never have to deal with something like this again” he swears. And he means it. His brother has already gone through so much. He refuses to let him suffer like that ever again. Clearly he’s going to have to change some things back home, but Touka would back him and so would Mito after they explained things to her. And they can keep Tobirama’s status a secret from everyone else until after he’s browbeaten the elders unto submission.

“Damn right he won’t” Madara snaps from beside him, and he’d almost forgotten about the Uchiha to be honest. Come to think of it, how had Tobi ended up with them in the first place? And how did it relate to his dynamic?

“So, what is Tobira doing here anyways? And how did you manage to find out what we’d missed for years?” Asks Touka who was evidently thinking along the same lines as him. Tobirama fidgets guiltily in his lap and blushes slightly. Which, his brother is so cute~♥ but also what? Madara looks at Tobirama and raises an eyebrow, prompting the other to tell explain while also causing his blush to deepen.

“So, um, you remember how I injured Izuna in that last battle” Tobirama begins while Hashirama and Touka nod, not sure what this has to do with anything. “Well” Tobirama glances guiltily at his older brother. “Hashirama was so upset about his death and how Madara wouldn’t ever agree to peace with him dead and how any other death would have been better, so I figures since I was dying anyways, I might as well try to fix it” the albino says. He was glancing slightly to the side, making sure not to meet anyone’s eyes. There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed what had been said before chaos erupts. Madara squawks and pulls him from Hashirama’s clutches into his own, glaring at the Senju head.

“He said what?!?!” Madara shrieks and Tobirama remembers suddenly that he’d never really shared the truth about what, exactly, had prompted his action that night. Touka, Izuna, and Hikaku have joined Madara in glaring at his brother.

“What the fuck?!?!?!” Izuna demands, horrified. He felt vaguely like he’d been made an accomplice in someone’s suicide or fratricide attempt! An unwilling accomplice sure, but he still felt dirty!

“Ha-shi-rama~” Touka chirps in her sweetest and most menacing you’re-in-for-a-shit-tonne-of-pain voice. It made her cousin turn pale and start sweating. It also made the Uchiha heir start to drool a bit before he remembered the real issue here and composed himself.

“I didn’t mean it!” The Mokuton user wails. “I especially didn’t mean you Tobi” he cries. “I was just frustrated, I never wanted you to go and do something like this!” Hikaku gives a derisive snort at that, which he had to admit was fair. He had said, had implied things of the worst sort in his anger, shock, and grief, and it had almost cost him his only brother.

“It wasn’t just because of that” Tobirama tries to defend. “You had valid points! With Izuna dead and Senju hands Madara would never agree to peace and in his rage would target us even more strongly then before. So many would fall to his blade…Better to heal Izuna even if it meant my own death a few months early than to risk all those lives” he explains.

“Maybe so” Madara says, staring at him seriously, “but that doesn’t change the fact you would not have come had your brother not said such things to you”. He seemed really frustrated about something, which Tobirama found rather confusing. Madara seemed to catch this as he elaborates. “I know you and Izuna were fighting for real, were fighting to kill. If you hadn’t gotten that shot in, he very likely would have gotten one instead. Your brother blamed you for surviving and that’s not okay Tobi. Your life has just as much value as everyone else’s and you need to stop acting like it doesn’t!” Tobirama was still confused.

“My life has as much value as any other of course, but the point was that if I hadn’t done this multiple people could be saved. The value of all their lives far outclasses the value of my own. It’s simple math” the albino explains, clearly perplexed.

“But their deaths were all hypothetical. Your actions could have changed nothing. If things had gone like you thought they would you would never know. Your side could easily have just suffered an extra casualty for no reason” Madara argues back hotly.

“Maybe” Tobirama agrees, “but I was dying anyways so it was worth it even if only to give the others a tiny bit more of a chance to survive”. He’s serious and he will not be moved on this point. It was his job to protect his brother and his clan and he would never be ashamed of any actions he took to do so. Madara huffs. He knew he would not be winning this.

“Never again” he says instead, clutching the pale man to him. “You are never doing something like that again or so help me I will find somewhere safe to keep you locked up”. He is completely serious about this. He will not risk Tobirama and Tobirama has shown multiple times that he _cannot_ be trusted to look after himself, so clearly he would have to take over. Tobirama gives him an exasperated look while Izuna rolls his eyes and mutters about mother-hens. Hashirama is lost again, but Touka seems to be putting things together if the wicked glint in her eyes is anything to go by.

“Soooo, anything else you want to share with the class little cousin?” She asks slyly. Tobirama goes beat red at the question and Hashirama looks between them suspiciously. The younger Senju brother once again looks like he’s not sure how to break the news to his family (well, more to his brother) so Madara decides to take pity on him.

“We’re engaged” he states simply bracing himself for the ruckus that is sure to follow this announcement.

 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting so close to the end here folks, only the epilogue left! Also, this chapter is dedicated to all the other wonderful authors I've been getting to know over Discord. They are amazing and make me want to write more often <3 Enjoy and please review!

“I’m sorry, you’re what now?” Hashirama asks calmly. Worryingly calmly actually…

“Engaged” Madara replies warily. Hashirama’s countenance grows dark.

“No you’re not” he says firmly. “I don’t recall anyone requesting permission to court my little brother, let alone receiving it and as clan head I would have received such a thing were my brother engaged”. Tobirama winces. His brother rarely uses this particular tone of voice, but he is always deadly serious when he does. That he was using it now hinted at bad things to come for Madara.

“Anija” Tobirama starts, hoping to placate or at least calm him brother. Unfortunately, this only serves to draw Hashirama’s attention back to him, or more specifically to where he was sitting. The Senju head narrows his eyes at the Uchiha cradling his little brother.

“And, since I have _not_ received any such proposals _my_ little brother _cannot_ be engaged” Hashirama’s voice gets harder with each word spoken. He could hear Touka snickering at his misfortune in the background. Even Madara looked slightly intimidated though he refused to be cowed.

“That would normally be true, however, he is no longer a member of the Senju clan” Madara counters, narrowing his eyes back. Touka’s laughter cuts-off abruptly at this statement. “Given the state we found him in, it’s fairly obvious that he was not receiving the care he needs with the Senju, so as I clan head of the Uchiha I made the executive decision to adopt him as an honorary member of the clan and remove him to a healthier environment” the raven-haired man adds. Hashirama winces at the reminder of his brother’s state and near death but does not back down.

“Tobirama is my brother and the heir to the Senju clan. He could not be my heir if he were not a Senju, so therefore he must be a Senju. A Senju who will not be marrying anyone and who will instead be going home with his brother where he belongs” the brunette responds.

“I don’t think so Senju” Madara growls flashing his sharingan. In return the table sprouts a couple small branches. Tobirama groans.

“Stop!” He orders both men firmly. It seems he’s trained the, well as both freeze upon hearing his tone. “This was not how we agreed to go about telling him so stop trying to antagonize my brother” the albino scolds his fiancé. “And you” he continues, turning to point at his brother, “I can marry whoever I choose and I do _not_ need your permission to do so”. Hashirama wilts slightly at his words.

“But Tobi, I just want to make sure you’ll be okay! That you’ll be safe and happy” his elder brother protests turning large, concerned, brown eyes his way. Tobirama sighed. His brother was always so earnest, it made staying agree with him very difficult.

“I know Anija, but I will be. Madara managed to do what no one else could, he looked through me, found the parts of myself I’d hidden away and dragged them back to the light. And, in doing so he saved me. He sees and accepts even the worst, darkest parts of me because they are part of what makes me _me_. He’s taken me into his home and treated me with nothing but care and kindness. He’s never forced anything on me; our relationship and our engagement were mutual decisions. I love him Hashirama. He’s everything I thought I would never be able to have” he tells his brother honestly, silently begging the other to understand.

Even though they had only been together for a short time Madara had quickly become absolutely everything to him and he can’s stand the idea of losing him. He doesn’t want to become a true traitor to his clan, but to be able to stay here with the man he loves, with the friends he has made, with the clan that already treats him like kin he wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Hashirama stares silently into his eyes for a few moments, countenance still very serious. Tobirama isn’t sure what his brother is searching for, but he seems to find it because he starts beaming.

“If he makes you happy of course you can marry him Tobi. I’ve always thought of Madara like my brother, and now he really will be!” Hashirama exclaims, clapping. His smile seems to grow with every word, much to the bemusement of all present. Tobirama feels the fear he hadn’t even realized he’d had rush out of him and gives his brother a small but very real smile in return. Hashirama has been the center of his world since he was very young so his approval means everything. He could have given up his brother for Madara, but he knows that doing so would have broken something deep within him irreparably.

Seeing his little brother look so happy causes Hashirama to tear up again, this time out of joy. It had been a long time since he’d seen his brother so relaxed and expressive. The change was starting, but knowing what he did now he thanks the Kami for it. He’d always thought that Tobi growing quieter, more serious, and more reclusive had just been because of him growing up. The changes had happened gradually as they grew up, after all. Seeing his brother now he can spot the despair, the grief, and the exhaustion he’d been hiding. It’s still sinking in how close Tobirama had come to dying and how much he must have suffered over the years. He’d hidden his pain for years and Hashirama hadn’t had a single clue. Hadn’t bothered to look at his brother closely enough to find one. He regrets that now. Honestly, he regrets a lot of things now. He regrets not being there for his brother, regrets allowing such a huge gap to grow between them, regrets that he didn’t drag his brother out to spend time with people more often. Still, he knows that he cannot change those things. However, now that he has learned the truth, he can be there for his brother from this point onwards, the way he should always have been.

Unable to hold the impulse at bay any longer he tackles his brother in a hug for the second time that day, though this time he also includes Madara. He holds the both of them close, tears flowing liberally down his face. Thinking on it more, it really is a very good match. If he can trust anyone to look after his brother properly it would be Madara, who knows the pain of losing loved ones as well as he does. Madara, who would sooner stab himself than harm those he cared for. Madara, who’s strong and spirited enough to argue back when his brother trues to do something dumb. Yes, Hashirama decides, Madara could be trusted with his precious Tobi.

The moment was, predictably, broken by an irritated Madara yelling at him to get off. The brunette pouted but did release the both of them and sit back. Madara glared at him and scooted a couple inches further away, dragging Tobirama along with him.

“Thank you” Madara says at length. “Your approval means a lot to the both of us” he adds seriously. His arms are still wrapped around Tobirama who is leaning back into his chest. They look good together, Hashirama thinks, comfortable and relaxed in a way they aren’t with most others.

“Take care of him” the Senju says, staring his friend in the eyes so the Uchiha can see how serious he is. “I know I messed up, but Tobirama is my little brother and the most important person in my life. If you hurt him there is nowhere you could hide where I wouldn’t find you”. He means it. He has messed up and now he will do his best to make up for it, and part of that is never allowing anyone else to hurt his brother ever again. Madara is no exception to this.

“Anija!” Tobirama protests, He’s blushing in embarrassment, but is secretly rather touched. He’d always known that his brother loves him of course, but after everything hearing Hashirama say it aloud is…nice. Even the threat is just more proof of his brother’s care, although he would like it noted that he is more than capable of taking care of himself.

“I will” Madara promises solemnly. “And I won’t even try to hide, I’ll stay still and _let_ you hit me if I ever hurt him, so long as there’s something left after Tobirama is done with his own revenge” he vows. Hashirama nods, satisfied with this response while Tobirama settles at his fiancé saying he can avenge himself. Suddenly Hashirama starts tearing up again and the Uchiha stiffens, afraid of another hug.

“I’m so happy~ My brother and my best friend together and in loooove! It’s a dream come true, and so romantic ♥” Hashirama gushes. Tobirama groans, he thinks he may have preferred his brother’s earlier protective anger more than this. When Hashirama starts talking about the wedding and how nice Tobirama will look in white, and which flowers he’ll grow for them the albino decides that an intervention is needed. Since no one else seems about to step up (Touka is cackling again, Izuna is blatantly staring at her, Madara seems to have frozen under Hashirama’s onslaught and Hikaku is actually taking notes) it seems he’ll have to be the one to do it.

“Anija, stop. There are more important things to discuss than my wedding to Madara” he says. Hashirama, thankfully, pauses in his tirade.

“We do? But nothing’s more important than your happiness Tobi!” He exclaims.

“What about peace between the Senju and Uchiha?” Tobirama questions. Hashirama freezes, his mouth opening and closing without any sound emerging. It was clear that with everything else happening he hadn’t even stopped to think about that.

“Peace?” The brunette whispers turning wide, hopeful eyes on Madara.

“With Tobirama in our possession the Uchiha are in a strong enough position to allow negotiations. With Tobirama willing to marry into the Uchiha the clan will be assured that the Senju intend to keep their word, so they will be more willing to enter in to an agreement. There will likely be a lot of negotiations and concessions on both sides, especially if we end up building the village, but peace it’s finally possible” the Uchiha head respond with a shrug. He’s trying to pretend it’s not a big deal, but the smile on his face gives him away. Hashirama’s answering grin is so big it seems to take over his whole face.

“Smart” Touka puts in, “this just might work”. She looks thoughtful, but there is something like hope hidden underneath. Even with Hashirama’s eternal optimism most of the Senju had been starting to lose hope that this day would ever come. The road forward would not be straight forward, simple, or easy but for the first time it felt like it could actually be done. For the first time they had a true chance at this and it was clear that both Madara and Hashirama were determined to see it through and make it work.

“Thank you Madara” Hashirama breaths, still in shock that this was finally actually happening after so long.

“Don’t thank me yet” the raven-haired man replies. “You’re going to have to make some rather large changes within your clan if you want this to work out, especially around the treatment of submissives! I will not ask my clan mates to love with those who would belittle, mistreat, and disrespect them” he tells the other seriously.

“I would not expect you to” Hashirama replies. “I have long wanted to change how the Senju treat submissions and now it seems I have more than enough reason to” his eyes glance guiltily at Tobirama. “I cannot change the views of all my clansmen, but I can create new laws which guarantee that any who act on such views will be punished” he assures Madara. “However, in return I need to be certain that my brother is not being treated as a prisoner here. He is a signal of our alliance and will become a member of your clan. He deserves to be treated as such” Hashirama adds, looking pointedly at the cuff on his brother’s wrist. He may not know exactly what it is or does but he can recognize a tool meant to trap and contain someone.

“Of course, that is more than reasonable” Madara agrees. He grabs Tobirama’s wrist and uses a small burst of chakra to unlock and remove the cuff.

“But the elders-” the albino begins to protest as Madara had told him of his deal with them.

“Leave the elders to me, it won’t be a problem. The clan likes you and your agreement to marry me all but makes you an Uchiha already” the Uchiha reassures his partner. Izuna and Hikaku both nod, and Tobirama relaxes knowing that they will have Madara’s back if the elders protest.

“Alright” he replies and takes a moment to relish in having his chakra back. The world lights up around him, brightening up his world as though colour were returning to it. The comfort and familiarity of having his sensing back eases the small but of tension that even Madara had not been able to remove. He’ll have to familiarize himself with the chakra of all the Uchiha clan members he’s met, especially his students’, but he finds himself actually looking forward to the task. ‘Perhaps’ he reflects watching his family, old and new, talk between themselves, ‘perhaps this can work out after all’.


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! I can't believe this thing is finally finished. It grew way out of control lol Thanks to everyone who read, gave kudos, and especially who reviewed. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed this. Also, to those who asked or hinted, I have no plans to make a sequel for this sorry. Please let me know if you enjoyed the ending! Also, feel free to track me down elsewhere on the web (same username) and chat with me because I'm always happy to scream about fandoms :D

Tobirama is shocked by how quickly things come together. Both Madara and Hashirama are driven people by nature and with their focuses combined nothing seems capable of standing in their way. The elders from both clans make token attempts at protesting, but the two of them have been dreaming of this since they were children and easily brush the complaints aside. For the first time all of the clans’ strongest are united on a course and it shows. Within the month terms have been drawn up for a treaty which will satisfy both sides. Shortly after the treaty is signed construction of their dream village begins. Tobirama watches in awe as Uchiha and Senju work together for common goals and good. It was a sight he’d never truly believed he’d see, no matter what his brother had said as children.

Living in the village will be a change and will require adjustment he knew, but he believed that it would be good for them all. This is only reinforced when, after their new home had been built, Madara insists on carrying over the threshold. Their marriage contract has been written alongside the treaty and their wedding date has been set for the spring. On his finger he wears a simple silver band with both of their clan sigils engraved on the inside. He’d told Madara that he hadn’t needed to get him a ring, but the other had insisted on it.

Of course, there were still tensions between the clans, but they were decreasing bit by bit everyday as each got the chance to see that the other was just as human as they were. Hashirama had sent out messengers to other nearby clans and he knew that a few others were seriously considering joining them in the village which would give their clans a bit of a buffer when old grudges ran high.

His brother and his fiancé seemed to have made the impossible possible. A handful of months ago he hadn’t expected to live to see the end of the year and now he stood watching the future stretch out before him full of happiness and love he’d never expected to have. Hashirama was living and thriving, his dream finally realized and his best friend by his side once again. Mito seemed to glow with how happy seeing her husband happy made her and had found herself with a new purpose as she used her diplomatic skills for the betterment of the village. Izuna, alive and energetic, was embracing their brothers’ dream for the first time. He was also utterly smitten with a bemused Touka and had started the oddest courtship Tobirama had ever seen. Touka, for her part, seemed to find the whole thing hilarious and could often be found egging Izuna on, however; those who knew her well could see how flattered she was and how true fondness was starting to grow between them. The albino suspected that she would give in to his advances within the year (there was many a bet bout the matter between the two clans). Hikaku had found his niche helping Tobirama with the more administrative side of things and seemed to be thriving in the new environment. His students were also growing and thriving in the new village. He was proud of how they had embraced the Senju children with open arms and whenever he could he would sit and watch them all playing and training together.

“What are you thinking about love?” A warm, familiar voice asks him as arms wind themselves around his middle, embracing him from behind as he stands on top of the cliff gazing out at what they have built. He smiles and leans back into the loving warmth he knows so well.

“About how happy I am to be able to have this, to have all my loved ones in one place getting along together and about how amazing everything we’ve created is” he replies honestly. He’d scoffed at his brother’s dreams as a child, he knows now how wrong he was to do so.

“I’m glad” Madara whispers, dropping a kiss on his brow. “You deserve to be happy and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you so” he vows, and Tobirama knows that he means every word. He knows that there is nothing this man would not do for him, just as he knows there is nothing he would not do for Madara in return. There is still much to do and he knows that not all of it will be easy or simple but he knows that he will never face it alone. Perhaps it is sappy, but he can’t help but feel that this, here with Madara, makes everything he had suffered before worthwhile. With this man by his side he is ready for whatever may come their way.

 


End file.
